Emergência e análise ultraestrutural de plântulas de soja inoculadas com Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sob efeito da aplicação de Trichoderma harzianum

The high susceptibility of soybean to white mold has negatively impacted its productivity. Currently, biological control methods, such as the use of Trichoderma spp., have provided alternatives to chemical control, as they promote less environmental impact and favor the plant growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of T. harzianum on the emergence of soybean seeds inoculated with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, besides identifying the interaction between fungi and soybeans by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Soybean seeds were subjected to the following treatments: 1. Without S. sclerotiorum, in PDA+Mannitol; 2. With S. sclerotiorum, in PDA+Mannitol; 3. With Ecotrich®WP and without S. sclerotiorum, in PDA+Mannitol; 4. With S. sclerotiorum and Ecotrich® WP, in PDA+Mannitol. The emergence test was conducted on trays with sterile sand at 25 °C for 8 days. Then, the vegetative organs of emerged seedlings were sectioned to evaluate, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), T. harzianum potential to parasitize and inhibit S. sclerotiorum. In fact, the white mold is capable of colonizing and deteriorating all soybean seeds. T. harzianum is effective in colonizing the root system of soybeans but does not contribute to emergence, compared to control. Based on the ultrastructural analysis, mycoparasitism of T. harzianum and S. Sclerotiorum was evidenced, but the control of the causal agent of white mold was not as effective as shown in other studies.