Tracking and plant growth‐promoting effect of Paraburkholderia tropica MTo‐293 applied to Solanum lycopersicum

VIO, SANTIAGO ADOLFO; BERNABEU, PAMELA; GARCIA, SABRINA SOLEDAD; GALAR, MARÍA LINA; LUNA, MARIA FLAVIA

JOURNAL OF BASIC MICROBIOLOGY

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

Lugar: Weinheim; Año: 2022

0233-111X

Paraburkholderia tropica MTo‐293 was applied as an experimental bio‐inputto Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) cv. Platense. Different plant growth systemsand inoculation strategies were tested to evaluate P. tropica plant colonizationat the seedling stage (growth chamber) using culture‐dependent and ‐independent techniques. The effect of P. tropica on plant growth wasevaluated in the growth chamber and greenhouse (productive stage) bybiomass accumulation and fruit production, respectively. P. tropica was able tocolonize the surface and inner root and stem of tomato seedlings regardless ofthe inoculation strategy?at sowing and/or before transplanting?showing thecompetitive nature of P. tropica in nonsterile substrate systems. A nestedpolymerase chain reaction was validated to track P. tropica in tomato plantseven in the inner stem with endophytic P. tropica populations of less than102 CFU g?1 of fresh weight. Efficient colonization of P. tropica correlated with a positive effect on tomato growth when applied at sowing and/or beforetransplanting: plant growth promotion was observed not only at the seedlingstage but also at productive stages improving crop yield in two differentseasons. To our knowledge, this report is the first to track and evaluate theplant growth‐promoting effect of P. tropica MTo‐293 in tomato plants grown innonsterile substrate systems.