Iron availability thresholds for the inoculation of cucumber with Trichoderma asperellum T34

Abstract

Inoculation with biocontrol agents can affect iron (Fe) uptake by plants. The objective of this research was to study the necessity of defining a Fe threshold in growth media for the inocula tion with the biocontrol agent Trichoderma asperellum T34. A completely randomized experi ment with cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was performed involving two factors: Fe rate in the growth medium in the form of ferrihydrite (0, 8, 16, 32.5, and 75 mg kg–1 of citrate-ascorbate extractable Fe (CA-Fe), and plant inoculation with T34. Dry matter (DM) of aerial parts of cucum ber was decreased by T34. This was related to a decreased accumulation of Fe in plants, more in aerial parts than in roots. However, at the highest Fe rate (75 mg kg–1), differences in DM yield, plant height, and the content and concentration of Fe in shoots between inoculated and noninoculated plants were not significant. The threshold of CA-Fe in the medium for DM yield of cucumber was 37 mg kg–1 without T34. With T34, this threshold was 65 mg kg–1, which implies that, below this limit, additional Fe supply is required for inoculation with T34.