Durum wheat production is seriously threatened by Fusarium head blight (FHB) attacks in Tunisia, and the seed coating by bio-agents is a great alternative for chemical disease control. This study focuses on evaluating, under field conditions, the effect of seed coating with , and their combination on (i) FHB severity, durum wheat grain yield and TKW in three crop seasons, and (ii) on physiological parameters and the carbon and nitrogen content and isotope composition in leaves and grains of durum wheat. The results indicated that the treatments were effective in reducing FHB severity by 30 to 70% and increasing grain yield with an increased rate ranging from 25 to 68%, compared to the inoculated control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoating seeds with bio-control agents is a potentially effective approach to reduce the usage of pesticides and fertilizers applied and protect the natural environment. This study evaluated the effect of seed coating with , strain INAT (MT731365), on seed germination, plant growth and photosynthesis, and plant resistance against , in durum wheat under controlled conditions. Compared to control plants, seed coating with promoted the wheat growth (shoot and roots length and biomass), and photosynthesis and transpiration traits (chlorophyll, ɸPSII, rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, etc.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCoating seeds with biostimulants is among the promising approaches in crop production to increase crop tolerance to drought stress. In this study, we evaluated the potential of coating durum wheat seeds of the cultivar 'Karim' with thyme essential oil on enhancing seed germination and seedling growth, and on plant growth promotion and induction of drought resistance. Coated seeds were pre-germinated, grown in hydroponics, and grown in pots under controlled well-watered and progressive water/nutrient stress conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Physiol Biochem
September 2015
The potential of thyme essential oil in controlling gray mold and Fusarium wilt and inducing systemic acquired resistance in tomato seedlings and tomato grown in hydroponic system was evaluated. Thyme oil highly reduced 64% of Botrytis cinerea colonization on pretreated detached leaves compared to untreated control. Also, it played a significant decrease in Fusarium wilt severity especially at7 days post treatment when it was reduced to 30.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF