Evaluation of the effectiveness of the Trichoderma harzianum and extract of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) against Rhizoctonia solani the causal agent of tomato root rot disease

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Al-Mussaib Technical Institute, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Babylon, Iraq.

2 Al-Mussaib Technical College, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, 51009 Babylon ,Iraq.

3 Al-Mussaib Technical College, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, 51009 Babylon, Iraq.

Abstract

Objective
Root rot is a serious disease of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). It caused by the soil-borne fungus Rhizoctonia solani. This disease leads to major yield losses in tomato production worldwide. The aim of the present study was to isolate and identify the most virulent isolate of R. solani. Moreover, we aimed to evaluate the biocontrol ability of Trichoderma harzianum and aqueous clove (Syzygium aromaticum) extract. The aim was to evaluate both individually and in combination against tomato root rot under laboratory and greenhouse conditions.
Materials and methods
Several isolates of R. solani were obtained and tested for pathogenicity. Among them, isolate R4 showed the highest virulence. It has 100% disease incidence and 98.67% disease severity. So, it was selected for further experiments. Aqueous clove extract was prepared at concentrations of 5% and 10%. Trichoderma harzianum was cultured and applied as a spore suspension. Dual culture assays in vitro were used to evaluate the antifungal effects of these agents firstly. After that, greenhouse experiments were conducted to assess their effects on disease incidence, disease severity, and plant growth parameters. LSD test at a 5% significance level was statistically used to analyze data.

Results
In vitro results showed that both T. harzianum and clove extract significantly inhibited the growth of R. solani. Complete inhibition of fungal growth was observed when both agents were applied together. In greenhouse experiments, the combined treatment of T. harzianum and clove extract significantly reduced disease incidence (13.33%) and disease severity (9.33%), in comparison to the infected control. In addition, this treatment improved tomato plant growth. Because it resulted in higher fresh weight (43.33 g), dry weight (9.33 g), shoot length (46.33 cm), and root length (10.33 cm).
Conclusion
The findings of the current study shows that Trichoderma harzianum and clove extract work synergistically to control Rhizoctonia solani. This natural and eco-friendly method can effectively reduce tomato root rot. It also can increase plant growth. This combination shows strong potential as a safe alternative to chemical fungicides. Therefore, it is better to further evaluate it under field and laboratory conditions.

Keywords

References

Arasu, M. V., & Al-Dhabi, N. A. (2023). Biological control of root rot disease-causing Rhizoctonia solani in tomato plant by an endophytic fungus and analysis of growth promoting activities in greenhouse and field. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 127, Article 102080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2023.102080
Arif, M., Verma, V., Priyadarshini, A., Satnami, L., Mishra, A., Ansari, M., Chattopadhyay, A., Bhutia, D., & Sarkar, A. (2024). Evaluation of Trichoderma spp. as a plant growth promoter and antagonist of major pulse pathogens. Journal of Food Legumes, 36(4), 278-287. https://doi.org/10.59797/jfl.v36.i4.164
Bakkali, F., Averbeck, S., Averbeck, D., & Idaomar, M. (2008). Biological effects of essential oils—A review. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(2), 446-475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2007.09.106
Christova, P. K., Dobreva, A. M., Dzhurmanski, A. G., Dincheva, I. N., Dimkova, S. D., & Zapryanova, N. G. (2024). The impact of plant essential oils on the growth of the pathogens Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium solani, and Phytophthora pseudocryptogea. Life, 14(7), Article 817. https://doi.org/10.3390/life14070817
Collins, E. J., Bowyer, C., Tsouza, A., & Chopra, M. (2022). Tomatoes: An extensive review of the associated health impacts of tomatoes and factors that can affect their cultivation. Biology, 11(2), Article 239. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11020239
Domsch, K. H., & Gams, W. (1980). Compendium of soil fungi (Vol. 1). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2008.01052_1.x
Giménez-Santamarina, S., Torres-Pagán, N., Larran, S., Roselló, J., & Santamarina, M. P. (2025). Clove essential oil and eugenol as natural antifungal agents to reduce postharvest losses in melon (Cucumis melo). International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(19), Article 9603. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26199603
Guzmán-Guzmán, P., Porras-Troncoso, M. D., Olmedo-Monfil, V., & Herrera-Estrella, A. (2019). Trichoderma species: Versatile plant symbionts. Phytopathology, 109(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-07-18-0218-RVW
Harman, G. E., Howell, C. R., Viterbo, A., Chet, I., & Lorito, M. (2004). Trichoderma species—opportunistic, avirulent plant symbionts. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2(1), 43-56. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro797
Hussein, N. S., Safaie, N., Shams-Bakhsh, M., & Al-Juboory, H. H. (2025). Eco-friendly management of Rhizoctonia solani, the cause of tomato root rot disease. Agricultural Science Digest, 45(4), 657-664. https://doi.org/10.18805/ag.DF-709
Liu, S., Liu, T., Chen, Y., Hu, R., Yuan, J., & Jian, W. (2026). Advances in application of biocontrol agents and natural plant products to control post-harvest fungal pathogens of fruits and vegetables. Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology, 141, Article 102987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmpp.2025.102987
Meshram, S., & Adhikari, T. B. (2024). Microbiome-mediated strategies to manage major soil-borne diseases of tomato. Plants, 13(3), Article 364. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13030364
Nassary, E. K. (2025). Fungal biocontrol agents in the management of soil-borne pathogens, insect pests, and nematodes: Mechanisms and implications for sustainable agriculture. The Microbe, 7, Article 100391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microb.2025.100391
Ongena, M., & Jacques, P. (2008). Bacillus lipopeptides: Versatile weapons for plant disease biocontrol. Trends in Microbiology, 16(3), 115-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2007.12.009
Pitiwittayakul, N., Niyomvong, N., Wongsorn, D., Kumla, J., & Suwannarach, N. (2025). Phytochemical characterization and antifungal activity of medicinal plant extracts against Colletotrichum species associated with anthracnose in Thailand. PLoS ONE, 20(12), Article e0339399. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0339399
Ptaszek, M., Canfora, L., Pugliese, M., Pinzari, F., Gilardi, G., Trzciński, P., & Malusà, E. (2023). Microbial-based products to control soil-borne pathogens: Methods to improve efficacy and to assess impacts on microbiome. Microorganisms, 11(1), Article 224. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11010224
Shabani, E., Alemzadeh Ansari, N., Fayezizadeh, M. R., & Caser, M. (2024). Can Trichoderma harzianum be used to enhance the yield and nutrient uptake of Lactuca sativa cv. “Lollo Rosso” in floating systems? Food Science & Nutrition, 12(7), 4800-4809. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.4127
Thabet, M., & Khalifa, W. H. (2018). Antifungal activities of clove oil against root rot and wilt pathogens of tomato plants. American-Eurasian Journal of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, 18(3), 105-114. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:202758458
Yao, X., Guo, H., Zhang, K., Zhao, M., Ruan, J., & Chen, J. (2023). Trichoderma and its role in biological control of plant fungal and nematode disease. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14, Article 1160551. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1160551
Agricultural Biotechnology Journal
Volume 18, Issue 2
February 2026
Pages 255-266

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics