CATALASE AND PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN WHEAT AND TOMATO PLANTS INOCULATED WITH TRICHODERMA SP. AT EARLY STAGES OF ONTOGENESIS

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on the effects of novel strains of microscopic fungi of the genus Trichoderma, isolated from the rhizoplane of wild cereals native to the flora of the Republic of Crimea, on the enzymatic activity of seedlings of durum wheat (Triticum durum L., cultivar “Odari”) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., cultivar “Ranniy nizkiy 83”) during the early stages of ontogenesis. At the current stage of biotechnology development, one of the pressing challenges is the creation of effective and environmentally safe biopreparations based on antagonistic microorganisms that can not only suppress the development of pathogenic microflora in the rhizosphere but also positively influence the physiological and biochemical processes in plants. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of seed inoculation with different Trichoderma sp. strains on the activity of key antioxidant enzymes—catalase and peroxidase—as markers of the metabolic activity of seedlings. Under laboratory vegetation conditions, the activity levels of these enzymes were studied in wheat seedlings (on days 3 and 7) and tomato seedlings (on days 5 and 10) after seed germination in spore suspension solutions of six fungal strains. The results showed that the effects of Trichoderma sp. strains are strain-specific. Some strains (e.g., strains No. 4 and No. 5) caused statistically significant increases in catalase activity in tomato seedlings, while strain No. 6 exhibited the most pronounced stimulating effect on peroxidase activity in wheat seedlings. At the same time, other strains either reduced enzymatic activity or had no significant effect. It was found that seed inoculation with Trichoderma sp. strains did not suppress enzymatic activity, which indicates the absence of stress effects and supports the potential of these strains as components of biopreparations. The findings contribute to the understanding of the interactions between microscopic fungi and plants at early developmental stages and may be used in the selection of promising Trichoderma strains for enhancing crop resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as for the development of new microbial products aimed at stimulating plant growth and development in agriculture.

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