Trichoderma bio-inoculant improves seedling emergence, plant growth and seed yield of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz

Abstract

Camelina sativa seedling emergence and plant growth can be reduced by the soilborne pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. The effect of a mixture of Trichoderma atroviride isolates applied in granule and prill formulations at a rate equivalent to 15 kg/ha on two varieties of C. sativa (Suneson and 4164) was evaluated in glasshouse experiments using R. solani infested soil. The bio-inoculant treatments significantly increased seedling emergence by 30-60%, and increased total shoot and root dry weight by 4-8 fold over that of the untreated control. In a field experiment in 2012-2013, using C. sativa variety 4164, the prill formulation of the bioinoculant was applied at sowing. Seedling emergence was not significantly increased but shoot dry weight was increased by 20% and seed yield was increased by 25% by the bio-inoculant treatment over that of the control. Trichoderma bio-inoculants may have a role in the integrated crop management of this second generation bio-fuel crop.