BRAZILIAN STRAINS OF TRICHODERMA AFROHARZIANUM PROMOTING TOMATO GROWTH

Tomato is a vegetable of significant nutritional and economic importance; however, its cultivation is impacted by both abiotic and biotic factors. Multifunctional microorganisms, such as fungi from the genus Trichoderma, play a key role in promoting plant growth and protecting against pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of two previously identified Brazilian strains of T. afroharzianum in promoting the initial growth of tomato plants. For this purpose, seeds of the Kada Cruz Gigante cultivar were bioinoculated with two strains (NPF 10 and NPF 29) at two concentrations of spores (10⁵ and 10⁷ conidia/mL) and grown for 21 days in a greenhouse. Treatment with the NPF 29 strain, derived from lemongrass, at a concentration of 10⁵ conidia/mL resulted in the greatest improvements in tomato seedling growth, including increases in stem diameter, root length, weight, and shoot development compared to the control. These results suggest that bioinoculation with T. afroharzianum may be a promising strategy for optimizing early plant growth and contributing to more sustainable agricultural practices.