Trichoderma asperellum FJ035 Restructure the Rhizosphere Microbiome to Control the Cucumber Fusarium Wilt

The rhizosphere microbial community serves as a protective barrier against soil-borne diseases. However, it is unclear how Trichoderma influences the rhizosphere microbial community to control cucumber Fusarium wilt (CFW). This study demonstrated that Trichoderma asperellum FJ035 effectively suppresses CFW under continuous cropping by altering the rhizosphere microbiome, as confirmed through microbiome transfer experiments. Amplicon sequencing combined with cultivation-based methods showed that T. asperellum FJ035 modifies the composition and abundance of cucumber rhizosphere microbial communities. Based on these findings, a synthetic consortium, TB11, was constructed containing T. asperellum FJ035 and 30 bacterial strains that effectively controlled CFW and promoted cucumber growth. We simplified this consortium to TB5, comprising six strains closely related to T. asperellum FJ035, with a 71.43% reduction in CFW and 54.69% increase in plant weight. Further investigation revealed that T. asperellum FJ035 promotes the colonisation of B5 in cucumber roots and forms a protective microbiota to resist Fusarium oxysporum infection. This study reported a novel mechanism by which T. asperellum FJ035 prevents and controls CFW by regulating native bacterial communities in the rhizosphere. Moreover, the construction of synthetic consortia is described as a sustainable strategy for healthy cucumber cultivation.