Abstract
Plants are central to complex networks of multitrophic interactions. Increasing evidence suggests that beneficial microorganisms (BMs) may be used as plant biostimulants and pest biocontrol agents. We investigated whether tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) plants are thoroughly colonized by the endophytic and entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana , and how such colonization affects physiological parameters and the phenotype of plants grown under unstressed conditions or exposed to the pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea . As a positive control, a strain of the well-known biocontrol agent and growth inducer Trichoderma afroharzianum was used. As multitrophic interactions are often driven by (or have consequences on) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by plants constitutively or after induction by abiotic or biotic stresses, VOC emissions were also studied. Both B. bassiana and T. afroharzianum induced a significant but transient (one to two-day-long) reduction of stomatal conductance, which may indicate rapid activation of defensive (rejection) responses, but also limited photosynthesis. At later stages, our results demonstrated a successful and complete plant colonization by B. bassiana , which induced higher photosynthesis and lower respiration rates, improved growth of roots, stems, leaves, earlier flowering, higher number of fruits and yield in tomato plants. Beauveria bassiana also helped tomato plants fight B. cinerea , whose symptoms in leaves were almost entirely relieved with respect to control plants. Less VOCs were emitted when plants were colonized by B. bassiana or infected by B. cinerea , alone or in combination, suggesting no activation of VOC-dependent defensive mechanisms in response to both fungi.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana transiently reduced tomato stomatal conductance.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Treatment
- B. bassianae0
- Interactor
- B. bassiana
Beauveria bassianae0symbiont - Outcome
- stomatal conductancee0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Qualifier
- one to two-day-longe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both B. bassiana and T. afroharzianum induced a significant but transient (one to two-day-long) reduction of stomatal conductance”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Trichoderma afroharzianum transiently reduced tomato stomatal conductance.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- T. afroharzianume0
- Interactor
- T. afroharzianumTrichoderma afroharzianume0symbiont
- Outcome
- stomatal conductancee0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Qualifier
- one to two-day-longe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both B. bassiana and T. afroharzianum induced a significant but transient (one to two-day-long) reduction of stomatal conductance”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana completely colonized tomato plants at later stages.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Interactor
- B. bassianaBeauveria bassianae0symbiont
- Outcome
- successful and complete plant colonizatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“successful and complete plant colonization by B. bassiana”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana increased tomato photosynthesis.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- B. bassianae0
- Interactor
- B. bassianaBeauveria bassianae0symbiont
- Outcome
- photosynthesise0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“B. bassiana , which induced higher photosynthesis and lower respiration rates”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana lowered tomato respiration rates.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- B. bassianae0
- Interactor
- B. bassianaBeauveria bassianae0symbiont
- Outcome
- respiration ratese0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“B. bassiana , which induced higher photosynthesis and lower respiration rates”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana improved tomato root, stem and leaf growth.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- B. bassianae0
- Interactor
- B. bassianaBeauveria bassianae0symbiont
- Outcome
- growth of roots, stems, leavese0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“B. bassiana , which induced higher photosynthesis and lower respiration rates, improved growth of roots, stems, leaves”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana advanced flowering in tomato.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Beauveria bassianat0
- Interactor
- Beauveria bassianaBeauveria bassianat0symbiont
- Outcome
- floweringe0
- Direction
- earliere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“earlier flowering”
t0“Beauveria bassiana influences tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana increased tomato fruit number.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- Beauveria bassianat0
- Interactor
- Beauveria bassianaBeauveria bassianat0symbiont
- Outcome
- number of fruitse0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher number of fruits and yield in tomato plants”
t0“Beauveria bassiana influences tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana increased tomato yield.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- Beauveria bassianat0
- Interactor
- Beauveria bassianaBeauveria bassianat0symbiont
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“higher number of fruits and yield in tomato plants”
t0“Beauveria bassiana influences tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana colonization reduced tomato VOC emissions.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- colonized by B. bassianae0
- Interactor
- B. bassianaBeauveria bassianae0symbiont
- Outcome
- VOCse0
- Direction
- Lesse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Less VOCs were emitted when plants were colonized by B. bassiana or infected by B. cinerea , alone or in combination”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Botrytis cinerea infection reduced tomato VOC emissions.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- infected by B. cinereae0
- Interactor
- B. cinerea
Botrytis cinereae0pathogen - Outcome
- VOCse0
- Direction
- Lesse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Less VOCs were emitted when plants were colonized by B. bassiana or infected by B. cinerea , alone or in combination”
t0“tomato”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined Beauveria bassiana colonization and Botrytis cinerea infection reduced tomato VOC emissions.
- Taxon
- tomatoSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- alone or in combinatione0
- Interactor
- B. cinereaBotrytis cinereae0pathogen
- Second interactor
- B. bassianaBeauveria bassianae0symbiont
- Outcome
- VOCse0
- Direction
- Lesse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Less VOCs were emitted when plants were colonized by B. bassiana or infected by B. cinerea , alone or in combination”
t0“tomato”
The same questions in other papers
Beauveria bassiana · growth · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Results differ
3 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- positive
- positive
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 papers →Beauveria bassiana · physiology: photosynthesis · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
Beauveria bassiana · yield · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.