DOI: https://doi.org/10.5513/JCEA01/27.3.5126
Original scientific paper
Short-term physiological responses of tomato plants to Trichoderma brevicompactum under different watering regimes
2026, 27 (3) p. 717-727
Igor VUKELIĆ, Gordana RACIĆ, Mirjana BOJOVIĆ, Vedrana PROROK, Svetlana ROLJEVIĆ NIKOLIĆ, Ljiljana PROKIĆ, Dejana PANKOVIĆ
Abstract
larly affecting tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a globally important horticultural crop. Beneficial soil fungi, such as Trichoderma spp. are widely known as plant growth promoters, particularly under abiotic stress such as drought. However, short-term physiological responses to specific strains remain unclear, as Trichoderma-plant interactions are strain-genotype dependent. This study presents the results on the influence of T. brevicompactum on the physiological and biochemical parameters of tomato, under optimal watering and cessation of watering conditions, aiming to evaluate its potential to mitigate drought induced stress. The results demonstrated that T. brevicompactum induced a rapid reduction in stomatal conductance in well-watered plants, accompanied by changes in abscisic acid (ABA) dynamics and water status. Cessation of watering caused the expected increase in ABA levels in both leaves and roots, while in combination with T. brevicompactum this accumulation was reduced. Multivariate PCA analysis confirmed that ABA, stomatal conductance, leaf water potential and epidermal flavonols are the most sensitive early indicators of stress and fungal modulation of plant responses. These findings emphasize the potential of T. brevicompactum as a biostimulant to mitigate drought effects and support eco-sustainable tomato production, while highlighting the need for further studies under field conditions and at the molecular level to elucidate the underlying regulatory networks.
Keywords
symbiotic endophyte, Solanum lycopersicum L., water deficit, ABA, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll
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