Response of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to nursery inoculation with Trichoderma harzianum and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under field conditions

Figures & data

Table I. Dry shoot:root ratio of field-grown tomato as influenced by T. harzianum and AMF nursery pre-inoculation (T: T. harzianum; M: AMF; TM: combined application of T. harzianum and AMF).

	% AMF colonization			% Trichoderma colonization			Dry shoot mass g plant^−1			Dry root mass g plant^−1			Dry shoot:root ratio
Treatment	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean
M	23.60a	20.00a	21.80	12.00b	5.20b	8.60	30.28a	36.01a	33.15	5.01	5.23	5.12	6.13a	6.97	6.55
T	1.00b	0.80b	0.90	92.00a	79.60a	85.80	30.80a	29.27bc	30.04	5.15	5.43	5.29	6.00a	5.40	5.70
TM	20.40a	22.20a	21.30	94.00a	82.40a	88.20	29.10a	33.47ab	31.29	5.52	5.08	5.30	5.30ab	6.59	5.95
Control	0.80b	1.00b	0.90	4.96b	4.80b	4.88	22.40b	27.61c	25.01	4.96	5.00	4.98	4.53b	5.51	5.02
C.V. (%)	44.82	42.87		14.80	39.05		12.07	9.11		8.05	6.63		10.15	9.67
Means followed by the same letter were not significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) according to Fisher's LSD test.

Table II. Yield and yield components of field-grown tomato as influenced by T. harzianum and AMF nursery pre-inoculation (T: T. harzianum; M: AMF; TM: combined application of T. harzianum and AMF).

	No. fruit per plant			Marketable fruit per plant			Early yield kg plant^−1			Total yield per plant kg plant^−1			Marketable yield
Treatment	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean
M	149.40	137.20	143.30	118.20	106.60	112.40	2.79a	2.30a	2.55	8.99	8.68	8.84	7.05	6.62ab	6.84
T	143.20	131.60	137.40	119.40	100.20	109.80	1.80ab	2.14a	1.97	8.38	8.2	8.29	6.23	6.00b	6.12
TM	147.60	141.60	144.60	117.40	112.20	114.80	2.70a	2.28a	2.49	9.02	8.84	8.93	7.18	7.00a	7.09
Control	149.40	138.00	143.70	116.40	102.00	109.20	1.64b	1.68b	1.66	8.07	8.19	8.13	6.03	6.02b	6.03
C.V. (%)	7.21	8.59		13.41	10.13		27.77	11.54		9.32	5.39		12.39	12.50
Means followed by the same letter were not significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) according to Fisher's LSD test.

Table III. Fruit size, TSS and vitamin C content of field-grown tomato as influenced by T. harzianum and AMF nursery pre-inoculation (T: T. harzianum; M: AMF; TM: combined application of T. harzianum and AMF).

	Extra-large fruit %			Large fruit %			Medium fruit %			TSS % Brix			Vitamin C mg per 100g FW
Treatment	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean	2008	2009	Mean
M	34.82	42.24a	38.53	27.70b	22.88b	25.29	23.84ab	16.00	19.92	5.40a	5.68a	5.54	29.20a	25.10	27.20
T	31.22	35.18ab	33.20	41.18a	32.12ab	36.65	15.22b	16.88	16.05	5.32a	5.62ab	5.47	27.40ab	26.10	25.70
TM	39.10	39.08ab	39.09	30.48b	26.20ab	28.34	16.80b	21.54	19.17	5.28a	5.72a	5.50	26.50b	25.00	26.80
Control	30.30	29.32b	29.81	23.30b	22.88b	23.09	31.58a	25.66	28.62	4.86b	5.26b	5.06	23.80b	22.60	23.20
C.V. (%)	23.25	16.27		17.45	15.05		36.41	44.27		7.65	6.47		16.17	14.25
Means followed by the same letter were not significantly different (p ≤ 0.05) according to Fisher's LSD test.