Trichoderma atroviride enhances ROS scavenging systems, primary and secondary metabolism increasing the yield of...

Trichoderma application offers soybean farmers global benefits by enhancing plant growth stimulation and crop yield. Globally, beneficial fungus application rise as more sustainable agricultural practices, improving resilience against climate change impacts. Biostimulants are promising tools for mitigating abiotic stresses and increasing soybean yield. Trichoderma has emerged as an innovative approach for sustainable agricultural solutions. Microorganisms that enhance agricultural production show several important traits in bioprospecting. This study aimed to evaluate the biostimulant effect of Trichoderma isolates on the growth, physiological performance, and yield of soybean plants. Five fungal isolates of Trichoderma atroviride were used. Trichoderma was inoculated as colonized rice incorporated into the soil before soybean sowing, and also applied as a foliar application of conidial suspension at the V₃ stage. Parameters related to plant growth, antioxidant and secondary metabolism were determined. The application of isolates dramatically increased the concentration of glyceollin (main phytoalexin) in soybean cotyledons. In addition, all Trichoderma isolates elicited the activity of plant defense-inducing enzymes (POD, PPO, LOX, PAL, chitinase, and β-1,3-glucanase) and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and APX) in soybean leaves. The Trichoderma isolates promoted a biostimulant effect increasing shoot and root biomass, and nodulation of soybean plants. Increased nodulation, antioxidant activity, and secondary metabolism resulted in enhanced soybean plant growth, leading to higher globulin concentration in the seeds. These phenomena resulted in increased seed mass and yield of soybean plants. These results suggest the use of Trichoderma for more sustainable agriculture show a great potential to increase soybean yield under field conditions worldwide.