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Flood Inoculation of Fusarium eumartii in Tomato Seedlings: Method for Evaluating the Infectivity of Pathogen Spores

Summary

Scientists have developed a simple laboratory method to test how effectively a fungus called Fusarium eumartii infects young tomato plants. The technique involves growing tomato seedlings on special nutrient plates and then exposing them to fungal spores suspended in water, allowing researchers to measure how much damage occurs and how much fungus remains in the plant tissue. This method can be used to quickly test whether different compounds, like chitosan, can prevent fungal infections or help plants defend themselves naturally. The straightforward approach makes it useful for farmers and researchers developing better ways to protect tomato crops from fungal diseases.

Background

Fusarium solani f. sp. eumartii (F. eumartii) is a significant fungal pathogen traditionally recognized as a potato pathogen but also identified in tomato plants and other Solanaceae family members. Various Fusarium species cause substantial agricultural losses worldwide both before and after harvest. Different methods exist for infecting tomato plants with Fusarium fungi, necessitating development of reliable and reproducible assessment techniques.

Objective

This protocol describes a simple, reliable, and reproducible flood-inoculation method to assess the infection of tomato seedlings with F. eumartii pathogen. The method evaluates both fungal infectivity and quantifies remaining fungal inoculum in infected seedlings to support screening of fungicidal compounds and defense response inducers.

Results

The validation study demonstrated that chitosan treatment of F. eumartii spores reduced necrotic symptoms by approximately 90% in inoculated seedlings and decreased residual fungal inoculum by 83% compared to untreated controls. Pre-treating seedlings with chitosan for 4 days significantly reduced both lesion area and remaining fungal inoculum following spore inoculation, confirming chitosan’s dual action as both fungicide and plant defense elicitor.

Conclusion

This flood-inoculation bioassay provides a straightforward, efficient, and robust quantitative tool for evaluating F. eumartii infectivity in tomato seedlings. The method’s ease of adaptation for screening fungicides and defense inducers in plant-pathogen interactions offers significant potential for preventing fungal diseases in crops and supporting agricultural research.
  • Published in:Bio Protoc (BioProtocol),
  • Study Type:Protocol/Method Development,
  • Source: PMID: 39959300, DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.5198
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