Biochemical changes induced in tomato as a result of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization and tomato wilt pathogen infection

A pot experiment was conducted in tomato to study the biochemical changes, the protective enzyme activities and disease resistance against the tomato wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Two dominant species of Arbuscular Mycorhizal (AM) fungi Glomus fasciculatum and Acaulospora laevis were isolated, mass multiplied and used for further studies. Tomato plants were grown in plastic pots filled with sterile soils and inoculated with AM fungi G. fasciculatum and A. laevis. There were six treatments along with the control. The effect of the interaction between the AM fungi and pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici on tomato plants were monitored regularly. The morphological and biochemical modifications were observed in mycorrhizal, pathogen infected and mycorrhizal plants infected with pathogen and the results were compared with the control plants. Mycorrhizal colonization significantly increased the mineral nutrient concentration, chlorophyll, protein, amino acids, starch, sugars and phenolic content. Among the AMF, A. laevis proved to be the more effective strain compared to G. fasciculatum.

Author(s): S. Manila and R. Nelson*

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