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. 2024 Feb 17;24(1):118.
doi: 10.1186/s12870-024-04785-3.

Trichoderma cf. asperellum and plant-based titanium dioxide nanoparticles initiate morphological and biochemical modifications in Hordeum vulgare L. against Bipolaris sorokiniana

Rabab A Metwally  1 , Shereen A Soliman  2 , Hanan Abdalla  2 , Reda E Abdelhameed  2
Affiliations

Trichoderma cf. asperellum and plant-based titanium dioxide nanoparticles initiate morphological and biochemical modifications in Hordeum vulgare L. against Bipolaris sorokiniana

Rabab A Metwally et al. BMC Plant Biol. .

Abstract

Background: Spot blotch is a serious foliar disease of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plants caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana, which is a hemibiotrophic ascomycete that has a global impact on productivity. Some Trichoderma spp. is a promising candidate as a biocontrol agent as well as a plant growth stimulant. Also, the application of nanomaterials in agriculture limits the use of harmful agrochemicals and helps improve the yield of different crops. The current study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of Trichoderma. cf. asperellum and the biosynthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to manage the spot blotch disease of barley caused by B. sorokiniana and to assess the plant's innate defense response.

Results: Aloe vera L. aqueous leaf extract was used to biosynthesize TiO2 NPs by reducing TiCl4 salt into TiO2 NPs and the biosynthesized NPs were detected using SEM and TEM. It was confirmed that the NPs are anatase-crystalline phases and exist in sizes ranging from 10 to 25 nm. The T. cf. asperellum fungus was detected using morphological traits and rDNA ITS analysis. This fungus showed strong antagonistic activity against B. sorokiniana (57.07%). Additionally, T. cf. asperellum cultures that were 5 days old demonstrated the best antagonistic activity against the pathogen in cell-free culture filtrate. Also, B. sorokiniana was unable to grow on PDA supplemented with 25 and 50 mg/L of TiO2 NPs, and the diameter of the inhibitory zone increased with increasing TiO2 NPs concentration. In an in vivo assay, barley plants treated with T. cf. asperellum or TiO2 NPs were used to evaluate their biocontrol efficiency against B. sorokiniana, in which T. cf. asperellum and TiO2 NPs enhanced the growth of the plant without displaying disease symptoms. Furthermore, the physiological and biochemical parameters of barley plants treated with T. cf. asperellum or TiO2 NPs in response to B. sorokiniana treatment were quantitively estimated. Hence, T. cf. asperellum and TiO2 NPs improve the plant's tolerance and reduce the growth inhibitory effect of B. sorokiniana.

Conclusion: Subsequently, T. cf. asperellum and TiO2 NPs were able to protect barley plants against B. sorokiniana via enhancement of chlorophyll content, improvement of plant health, and induction of the barley innate defense system. The present work emphasizes the major contribution of T. cf. asperellum and the biosynthesized TiO2 NPs to the management of spot blotch disease in barley plants, and ultimately to the enhancement of barley plant quality and productivity.

Keywords: Antagonistic activity; Antioxidative enzymes; Barley; Biocontrol agent; Cell free filtrate; Green synthesis; Spot blotch disease; Trichoderma cf. asperellum.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Morphological and molecular characterization of (A) T. cf. asperellum (biocontrol agent): (a) colony on PDA, (b) vegetative mycelium microstructure showing conidiophore and phialides, (c) phylogenetic tree (B) B. sorokiniana (pathogen): (a) colony on PDA, (b) vegetative mycelium microstructure showing hyphae and conidia, (c) phylogenetic tree
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Dual culture for the antagonistic effect evaluation of T. cf. asperellum against B. sorokiniana. A T. cf. asperellum and B. sorokiniana interaction, (B) B. sorokiniana control, (C) In vitro control of B. sorokiniana using cell-free culture filtrate of (150 µL) by well diffusion method after 5 days of incubation. D-F Mycoparasitism of T. cf. asperellum against mycelium of B. sorokiniana (D) intensively vacuolated deformed mycelium of B. sorokiniana, (E) and (F) T.cf. asperellum and B. sorokiniana hyphal interaction
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
SEM (A) and TEM (B) images of green synthesized TiO2 NPs from A. vera leaf aqueous extract. C In vitro control of B. sorokiniana using the green synthesized TiO2 NPs (25 and 50 mg/L) from A. vera leaf aqueous extract by well diffusion method after 5 days of incubation
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
In vivo effect of T. cf. asperellum and TiO2 NPs against B. sorokiniana infection on barley plants (A), barley leaves (B), barley spikes (C) and (D) leaf spot blotch on barley leaves after 4 weeks from B. sorokiniana infection. T1, T2 and T3 refers to control, TiO2 NPs and T. cf. asperellum treated plants respectively
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Influence of T. cf. asperellum and TiO2 NPs on osmolytes: (A) total sugars, (B) protein and (C) proline of barley plants infected with B. sorokiniana pathogen, and uninfected. Data analysis was done by using Duncan’s multiple range test at p ≤ 0.05. The same letters are not significantly different and error bars reflect the standard error of the mean
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Effect of T. cf. asperellum and TiO2 NPs on stress markers: (A) H2O2, (B) Malondialdehyde (MDA), (C) POX, (D) CAT, (E) PAL and (F) LOX of barley infected with test B. sorokiniana pathogen, and uninfected. Data analysis was done by using Duncan’s multiple range test at p ≤ 0.05. The same letters are not significantly different and error bars reflect the standard error of the mean
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Schematic representation of the experimental set up
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