Trichoderma harzianum Root Irrigation for Tobacco Black Shank Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Tobacco black shank (TBS), a soil-borne fungal disease caused by Phytophthora nicotianae, significantly affects Nicotiana tabacum production, leading to decreased tobacco leaf quality and ecological issues due to continuous cropping and excessive fertilizer use in China.

Innovation Solution

The use of Trichoderma harzianum CGMCC23294 through different application modes, particularly root irrigation treatment at the transplanting stage, promotes Nicotiana tabacum growth and induces resistance against TBS, enhancing biomass accumulation and defensive enzyme activities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional farming methods with continuous cropping and excessive fertilizers are used, then tobacco production is maintained, but soil quality declines and disease occurrence increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetobacco productionVSAvoidsoil quality decline and disease occurrence

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of continuous cropping and excessive fertilizer use into a beneficial outcome by introducing T. harzianum, which suppresses soil-borne pathogens and restores soil health. The fungus transforms the degraded soil environment into a healthy one, reducing disease incidence while maintaining or improving tobacco yield and quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

T. harzianum acts as an intermediary organism between the soil and tobacco plants. It mediates the interaction by suppressing pathogenic fungi through competition and parasitism, producing plant growth-promoting substances, and inducing systemic resistance in tobacco plants, thereby improving soil quality and reducing disease occurrence without compromising production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If different application modes of T. harzianum are used, then disease resistance is improved, but the optimal effect requires specific application timing and method

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisease resistanceVSAvoidapplication mode complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies T. harzianum at the seedling stage (pre-transplanting) through seed soaking or root irrigation, establishing a protective microbial community before the plants are exposed to soil-borne pathogens. This preliminary action ensures that the beneficial fungus is already present and active when the plants are most vulnerable to disease, maximizing disease resistance without requiring complex multi-stage applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If root irrigation treatment with T. harzianum is applied, then biomass and defensive enzyme activities increase, but application precision and timing become critical

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiomass accumulationVSAvoidapplication precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies T. harzianum directly to the root zone through root irrigation, concentrating the beneficial fungus where it is most needed - at the plant-soil interface. This localized application ensures high precision delivery to the target area, maximizing the fungus's ability to suppress pathogens and promote growth while minimizing waste and reducing the need for precise timing compared to foliar applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The root irrigation treatment significantly increases biomass, chlorophyll content, and defensive enzyme activities in Nicotiana tabacum, reducing TBS incidence by 75.94% and improving disease resistance, with better effects compared to seed soaking and foliar spraying treatments.

Implementation Method 1

T. harzianum has a significant promotion effect on the biological traits and biomass accumulation of aboveground and underground parts of N. tabacum

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBiological growth promotion:

Implementation Method 2

T. harzianum exhibits a better promotion effect... the root irrigation treatment improves the activities of defensive enzymes PPO, PAL, and CAT in root cells of N. tabacum

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInduced resistance:

Data Source

PatentUS12075787B2Use of application mode of Trichoderma harzianum (T. harzianum) in growth and induced resistance of Nicotiana tabacum (N. tabacum)

Publication Date: 2024.09.03 HENAN AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY

AI summary

A use of an application mode of Trichoderma harzianum (T. harzianum) in growth and induced resistance of Nicotiana tabacum (N. tabacum) includes the following specific operation steps: S1. experimental materials: preparation of test media and bacterial solutions; S2. experimental treatments: S2.1 control treatment; S2.2 seed soaking treatment; S2.3 root irrigation treatment; and S2.4 foliar inoculation treatment; S3. test determination indexes and methods: S3.1 determination of biological traits; S3.2 determination of physiological and biochemical indexes; and S3.3 determination of disease resistance and induced resistance indexes; and S4. data processing: subjecting data to a difference significance test. Different application modes of T. harzianum all can promote the growth of N. tabacum plants and reduce the occurrence of tobacco black shank (TBS), among which a root irrigation treatment at a transplanting stage leads to an optimal effect.