Agriculture is facing ever-increasing challenges in terms of productivity, sustainability, and pest control. To address these challenges, the use of microorganisms like Trichoderma atroviride AT10, the active ingredient in the new Tricoten WP from ATENS, has become an effective and eco-friendly solution.
It has proven to be highly effective in controlling pathogens—mainly phytopathogenic fungi—as well as promoting plant growth, modulating quality, improving nutrient use efficiency, and increasing tolerance to abiotic stress factors. All of this makes it a very attractive option for farmers today.
This active substance has recently been approved as low risk by the European Commission under Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, as well as being registered as a plant protection product in the United States under EPA number 96029-2.
Biological Control of Pathogens
One of the main attributes of Trichoderma atroviride AT10 is its ability to control a wide range of soil pathogens. These include fungi such as Fusarium spp., Sclerotinia spp., and Pythium spp., which are responsible for various diseases in agricultural crops. The mode of action of Trichoderma includes competition for nutrients and space, the production of lytic enzymes that break down the cell walls of pathogens, and the induction of an immune response in plants.
An early trial was conducted to assess the influence of AT10 on fresh shoot biomass and resistance to the soil pathogen Sclerotinia in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown in naturally infested soil. Sclerotinia showed higher mortality in untreated plants compared to plants treated with AT10 (4.0% vs. 0.9%). By the end of the trial, the disease incidence reached 8.5% in the control plot and 3.3% in the treated plots. The effectiveness of AT10 treatments in reducing disease incidence compared to the control treatment ranged from 42.1% to 77.2%. Furthermore, at harvest, the inoculated lettuce plants had 13% more fresh shoot weight than untreated plants, indicating not only biocontrol properties but also a phytostimulatory effect from the endophytic fungus.
Promotion of Plant Growth
In addition to its properties as a biocontrol agent, Trichoderma atroviride AT10 has a positive impact on plant growth. This fungus improves the assimilation of essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, promoting more vigorous growth. It also stimulates root development, which increases the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, especially under stress conditions.
To investigate the biostimulant properties of AT10, it was combined with seaweed extract in eggplants. The soil was characterized by having sand (<80%) with a pH of 8.5 and limestone (8.8%). The eggplants showed a significant increase in root collar diameter 50 days after transplanting, total yield, marketable yield, ascorbic acid content, and a reduction in glycoalkaloids compared to the control.
In the case of grafted plants, they also produced premium quality fruits, as evidenced by the higher concentration of ascorbic acid and chlorogenic acid, the lower concentration of glycoalkaloids, and an improved overall mineral profile.
Improvement of Fruit Quality
The benefits of Trichoderma atroviride AT10 are not limited to disease control and growth promotion. This fungus also has a direct effect on fruit quality.
Wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.), often grown in soilless systems, faces challenges for Trichoderma establishment in the rhizosphere. In this study, two genotypes, “Alpine” and “Regina delle Valli,” were grown in a peat and coconut fiber mix. Plants treated with AT10 showed a 20.5% increase in marketable yield, 1.9% in total sugars, and 14.1% in anthocyanins compared to untreated plants. Similarly, in Impatiens walleriana plants, AT10 increased aerial biomass, the number and weight of flowers, and nutrient concentration, thus improving commercial quality.
These results highlight the potential of AT10 to make bedding plant cultivation more sustainable and enhance their performance and aesthetic parameters.
Conclusion
In summary, Tricoten WP, composed of Trichoderma atroviride AT10, has proven to be an active biocontrol substance. Its registered uses include soil pathogens such as Fusarium and Sclerotinia, as well as seed coating treatments in cereals and maize for Fusarium and Pythium. Future registrations will involve its efficacy as a spray treatment.
In addition to this characteristic, the biostimulant activity of AT10 under the various tested conditions, including soilless systems and a broad spectrum of plant species grown in specific environments, is noteworthy.
Finally, we must consider that the economic impact on farmers from using this product will be a result of both aspects: preserving plant health and making agricultural production more efficient in terms of fertilizer use, and therefore more sustainable.
REFERENCES
Sabatino, L.; Consentino, B.B.; Ntatsi, G.; La Bella, S.; Baldassano, S.; Rouphael, Y. Stand-Alone or Combinatorial Effects of Grafting and Microbial and Non-Microbial Derived Compounds on Vigour, Yield and Nutritive and Functional Quality of Greenhouse Eggplant. Plants 2022, 11, 1175.
Ganugi, P.; Fiorini, A.; Tabaglio, V.; Capra, F.; Zengin, G.; Bonini, P.; Caffi, T.; Puglisi, E.; Trevisan, M.; Lucini, L. The Functional Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Tomato Fruits Are Modulated by the Interaction between Microbial Biostimulants, Soil Properties, and Soil Nitrogen Status. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 520.
Traversari, S.; Cardarelli, M.; Brambilla, M.; Cutini, M.; Burchi, G.; Fedrizzi, M.; Massa, D.; Orlandini, A.; Cacini, S. Trichoderma atroviride Enhances Impatiens walleriana Hook. f Growth and Flowering in Different Growing Media. Plants 2024, 13, 583.
Vultaggio, L.; Allevato, E.; Consentino, B.B.; Bellitto, P.; Napoli, S.; Cannata, C.; Ntatsi, G.; Vasto, S.; Baldassano, S.; La Bella, S.; et al. Joint Action of Trichoderma atroviride and a Vegetal Derived Protein Hydrolysate Improves Performances of Woodland Strawberry in Italy. Horticulturae 2024, 10, 459.
Bonini, P., Rouphael, Y., Cardarelli, M., Ceccarelli, A.V. and Colla, G. Effectiveness of Trichoderma application through drip-irrigation to reduce Sclerotinia disease incidence and improve the growth performance of greenhouse lettuce. Acta Hortic. 2020, 1268, 199-204.
