Trichoderma endophyte promotes plant growth on yerba mate

LOPEZ, ANA CLARA; ALVARENGA, ADRIANA ELIZABET; ZAPATA, PEDRO DARÍO; LUNA, MARÍA FLAVIA; VILLABA, LAURA LIDIA

Rondina

Simposio; I Simposio de Microbiología de Rondônia: Salud, Medio Ambiente e Innovación; 2021

Argentina is the world?s largest producer of yerba mate, with a total crop area of 169.633 hectares in the northeast region of the country. This tree is a very valuable regional crop because its leaves are processed into a traditional beverage called mate, consumed as an alternative to coffee by millions of South Americans due to its stimulant effects. Several approaches to improve productivity in yerba mate plantations have been evaluated, but the role of native microbes has not been studied yet as a more sustainable strategy to promote growth and health of yerba mate crops. There are limited studies on yerba mate endophyte microorganisms working as biofertilizers and/or biocontrollers to improve yerba mate crop. The aim of this work was studied the promotion on yerba mate seedlings of differents formulation based on Trichoderma endophytes from yerba mate roots. The strains used belongs to T. asperelloides LBM 193 and T. sp. LBM 202. Trichoderma was grown on rice substrate, dried and processed with electric grinder. This inoculum obteined as dust were used to applied on yerba mate plants. In adittion, a spore suspension were prepareted from Trichoderma grown on PDA plates. The assay were conducted on nursery of the Fundación Alberto Roth in Santo Pipó, Misiones. We used 5 treatments to inculated yerba mate plants wich consist on LBM 193 and LBM 202 dust, LBM 193 and LBM 202 suspension, and control. The assay conducted used a random block design, with 3 block each one with ten experinmental units (yerba mate plants). Each block were placed on differents sites of the nursery. The plants were inoculted 3 times a the beginning of the assay, at day 15 and 45 of the assay started. It were evaluated different parameters of plant growth as: chlorophyll of one leaf, height and diameter of aerial part and general aspect of the plants. The end of the assay was at seventh month, in which apart from the named parameters, dry weigth were measured. The results shown higher height, chlorophyll and dry weight of plants treated with LBM193. LBM202 showed that it has the ability to protect yerba mate plants since plants treated with this microorganism showed better overall appearance. In conclusion, LBM193 and LBM202 are a new good ecofriendly alternative to improve yerba mate crops.