Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Effect of Abiotic Stress on Phosphate Solubilization by Biocontrol Fungus Trichoderma sp.

  • Published:
Current Microbiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study was undertaken to explore the role of Trichoderma sp. in phosphate (P) solubilization and antagonism against fungal phytopathogens. All fungal isolates (SE6, KT6, KT28, and BRT11) and a standard culture of T. harzianum (Th-std) were able to antagonize two fungal phytopathogens (Sclerotium rolfsii and Rhizoctonia solani) of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) wilt complex. Transmission electron microscopic studies (TEM) further confirmed ultra-cytological changes in the sclerotia of S. rolfsii parasitized by Trichoderma sp. All fungal cultures exhibited production of NH3 and siderophore, but only BRT11, SE6, and Th-std could produce HCN. Among all the cultures tested, isolate KT6 was found to be most effective for solubilization of ferric phosphate releasing 398.4 μg ml−1 phosphate while isolates BRT11 and SE6 showed more potential for tricalcium phosphate (TCP) solubilization releasing 449.05 and 412.64 μg ml−1 phosphate, respectively, in their culture filtrates. Part of this study focused on the influence of abiotic stress conditions such as pH, temperature, and heavy metal (cadmium) on phosphate (TCP) solubilizing efficiency. Two selected cultures KT6 and T. harzianum retained their P solubilizing potential at varying concentrations of cadmium (0–1000 μg ml−1). Isolate KT6 and standard culture of T. harzianum released 278.4 and 287.6 μg ml−1 phosphate, respectively, at 1000 μg ml−1cadmium. Maximum solubilization of TCP was obtained at alkaline pH and at 28°C temperature. Isolate BRT11 was found most alkalo-tolerant releasing 448.0 μg ml−1 phosphate at pH 9.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  1. Altomare C, Norvell WA, Bjorkman T, Harman GC (1999) Solubilization of phosphates and micronutrients by the plant-growth promoting and biocontrol fungus Trichoderma harzianum Rifai 1295–22. Appl Environ Microbiol 65:2926–2933

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Antoun H, Kloepper JW (2001) Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). In: Brenner S, Miller JF (eds) Encyclopedia of genetics. Academic Press, New York, pp 1477–1480

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bakker AW, Schipper B (1986) Microbial cyanide production in the rhizosphere in relation to potato yield reduction and Pseudomonas sp. mediated plant growth stimulation. Soil Biol Biochem 19:451–457

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Cappucino JC, Sherman N (1992) Microbiology: a laboratory manual. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, New York, pp 125–179

    Google Scholar 

  5. Dennis C, Webster J (1971) Antagonistic properties of species-groups of Trichoderma. I. Production of non-volatile antibiotics. Trans Br Mycol Soc 57:25–39

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fankem H, Nwaga D, Deubel A, Dieng L, Merbach W, Etoa FX (2006) Occurrence and functioning of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms from oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis) rhizosphere in Cameroon. Afr J Biotechnol 5(24):2450–2460

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gadagi RS, Tongmin S (2002) New isolation method for microorganisms solubilizing iron and aluminum phosphates using dyes. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 48:615–618

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ganesan V (2008) Rhizoremediation of cadmium soil using a cadmium-resistant plant growth-promoting rhizopseudomonad. Curr Microbiol 56:403–407

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gaur A, Adholeya A (2004) Prospects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. Curr Sci 86(4):528–534

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hass D, Defago G (2005) Biological control of soil borne pathogens by fluorescent Pseudomonas. Nat Rev Microbiol 3:307–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mishra DS (1998) Comparative efficacy of some biocontrol agents against R. solani Kuhn, the cause of sheath blight of rice. M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis. G.B.P.U.A & T. India, p 242

  12. Nautiyal CS (1999) An efficient microbiological growth medium for screening phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. FEMS Microbiol Lett 170:265–270

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Nicholas MD, Pulford ID (2004) Cadmium phytoextraction using short rotation coppice salix: the evidence trail. Environ Int 31:609–613

    Google Scholar 

  14. Nicole B, Chet I (1996) Parasitism of sclerotia of Sclerotium rolfsii by Trichoderma harzianum: Ultrastructural and cytochemical aspects of the interaction. Phytopathology 86:405–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Pozo MJ, Baek JM, García JM, Kenerley CM (2004) Functional analysis of tvsp1, a serine protease-encoding gene in the biocontrol agent Trichoderma virens. Fungal Genet Biol 41:336–348

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Rangarajan S, Saleena LM, Vasudevan P, Nair S (2003) Biological suppression of rice disease by Pseudomonas spp. under saline soil condition. Plant Soil 251:73–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Rawat R, Tewari L (2010) Transmission electron microscopic study of the cytological changes in Sclerotium rolfsii parasitized by a biocontrol fungus Trichoderma sp. Mycology 1(4):237–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Embaby SM (2006) Using a biofungicide (Coniothyrum minitans Campbell.) in controlling some soilborne plant pathogenic fungi in Egypt. Res J Agric Biol Sci 2(6):423–432

    Google Scholar 

  19. Schwyn B, Neilands JB (1987) Universal chemical assay for the detection and determination of siderophores. Anal Biochem 160:47–56

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Shahab S, Ahmed N (2008) Effect of various parameters on the efficiency of zinc phosphate solubilization by indigenous bacterial isolates. Afr J Biotechnol 7(10):1543–1549

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, 263145, India

    Rekha Rawat & Lakshmi Tewari

Authors
  1. Rekha Rawat
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lakshmi Tewari
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rekha Rawat.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 77 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rawat, R., Tewari, L. Effect of Abiotic Stress on Phosphate Solubilization by Biocontrol Fungus Trichoderma sp.. Curr Microbiol 62, 1521–1526 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-011-9888-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-011-9888-2

Keywords