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Title:	Trichoderma asperellum SL2 for improving growth, gene expression pattern, physiological traits, yield and disease resistance of rice plants under System of Rice Intensification (SRI) management system
Authors:	Febri Doni (P80260)
Supervisor:	Wan Mohtar Wan Yusoff, Prof. Dr.
Keywords:	Fungal Trichoderma Rice plants Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia -- Dissertations
Issue Date:	23-Oct-2017
Description:	The fungal species Trichoderma has exhibited evident potentials for useful applications in agriculture, in particular as a plant growth promotor and as biocontrol agent against pathogens. Although Trichoderma inoculants have been developed for many crops, investigations exploring the use of Trichoderma inoculants in rice farming systems are still in a nascent stage, especially under agroecological conditions created by System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methodology, whereby conditions below and above ground are different from those under conventional rice growing methods. In this study, a multifunctional symbiotic fungus Trichoderma asperellum SL2 was evaluated to assess its effects on the germination, gene expression pattern and growth of young seedlings. Subsequent performance of rice plants during their crop cycle grown under SRI was compared with those grown under conventional conditions. In addition, the capacity of T. asperellum SL2 to limit sheath blight disease caused by the phytopathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani was also assessed in greenhouse conditions. The assessment of suitable carriers for T. asperellum SL2 was carried out in terms of rice growth and productivity in SRI field application. Results showed that the inoculation of T. asperellum SL2 into rice seedlings led to significant increases in rice seedling growth (40%), germination rate (5.3%), vigour index (63.9%), chlorophyll content (80%) and gene expression pattern. Rice plants were inoculated with T. asperellum SL2 and grown under SRI exhibited highest value for plant height (85.71 cm), root fresh weight (49.43 g), canopy fresh weight (58.26 g), root biomass (23.75 g), canopy biomass (21.38 g), photosynthetic rate (7.81 μmol m-2s-1), stomatal conductance (827.31 mmol m-2s-1), stomatal density (29.33/36862.97 μm²), tiller number (50) and 1,000-grain weight (19.5 g). Results on T. asperellum SL2 biocontrol activity againts R. solani showed that T. asperellum SL2 was able to protect rice plants against R. solani infection while improving their physiological traits and increasing their growth. T. asperellum SL2 inoculated plants were grown under SRI management recorded the lowest total lesion length (17.42 cm) and susceptibility index (20.7 %). Furthermore, results on the application of T. asperellum SL2 biofertilizer in SRI field showed that the grain yield of T. asperellum SL2-inoculated rice plants was found to be 30% more than that from the uninoculated rice plants. In conclusion, T. asperellum SL2 have the potential to enhance rice plant growth, physiological traits, gene expression, and yield. This research also indicates that SRI creates more favorable conditions for T. asperellum SL2 to contribute toward beneficial rice cropping outcomes while conventional paddy management inhibits these effects.,Certification of Master's/Doctoral Thesis" is not available
Pages:	160
Publisher:	UKM, Bangi
Appears in Collections:	Faculty of Science and Technology / Fakulti Sains dan Teknologi

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