Tomato nutrition with the application of Trichoderma spp. on different soils.

The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of Trichoderma spp. on the nutrition and development of tomato plants in three soil types under protected environments. One experiment was conducted with ferralsol and acrisol soil (conducted in pots in a greenhouse), and another used cambisol soil (conducted in beds in a commercial greenhouse). The experiments were carried out in a randomized block design with twelve replications. The treatments consisted of a control (no application of Trichoderma spp.), an application of Trichoderma spp. before seedling transplantation, and monthly Trichoderma spp. applications in tomato plants cv. Itaipava®. The evaluations included plant nutrition at full flowering, development (height and fresh and dry mass of shoots), crop yield components of number, weight, and diameter of fruits, and average yield per plant. A second nutritional evaluation was repeated in the cambisol. The application of Trichoderma spp. in the soil did not modify the nutrition parameters of plants until flowering. However, at the end of the cycle in cambisol, the treatment increased the available contents of N, P, Cu, and Mn. The application of Trichoderma spp. did not affect the development and yield of tomato plants in the conditions tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]