Vol. 40 No. 1 (2026): AHS 150 years
Articles

The combined inoculation of Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas putida as a microbila consortium enhances the growth and yield of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

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  • L. Cejas,
  • L. Guiñazu,
  • M. Rovera,
  • J. Andres,
  • A. Torres,
  • N. Pastor
L. Cejas
Institute of Mycology and Mycotoxicology Research (IMICO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Exact, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
L. Guiñazu
¹ Institute of Mycology and Mycotoxicology Research (IMICO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Exact, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina. ² Department of Agricultural Biology, Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
M. Rovera
Institute of Mycology and Mycotoxicology Research (IMICO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Exact, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
J. Andres
¹ Institute of Mycology and Mycotoxicology Research (IMICO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Exact, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina. ² Department of Agricultural Biology, Faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
A. Torres
Institute of Mycology and Mycotoxicology Research (IMICO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Exact, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
N. Pastor
Institute of Mycology and Mycotoxicology Research (IMICO), National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Exact, Physical, Chemical and Natural Sciences, National University of Río Cuarto (UNRC), Route 36, km 601 (X5804BYA), Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-18118
Categories

Published 2026-04-07

Keywords

  • Field assays,
  • microbial consortium,
  • pepper,
  • Pseudomonas putida,
  • Trichoderma harzianum,
  • yield
    • ...More
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How to Cite

Cejas, L., Guiñazu, L., Rovera, M., Andres, J., Torres, A., & Pastor, N. (2026). The combined inoculation of Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas putida as a microbila consortium enhances the growth and yield of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Advances in Horticultural Science, 40(1), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-18118

Copyright (c) 2026 Ing. Cejas, Dr. Guiñazu, Dr. Rovera, Dr. Andres, Dr. Torres, Dr. Pastor

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

A sustainable agricultural method to increase crop yield and reduce dependence on chemical inputs is the use of beneficial microbial species as bioinoculants, especially Trichoderma spp., Pseudomonas spp. and microbial consortia. This study evaluated the impact of single and combined inoculations of Trichoderma harzianum ITEM 3636 and Pseudomonas putida PCI2 on pepper plants in field assays. Fruits from consortium-inoculated plants were larger than those from single-strain treatments or uninoculated controls, showing pronounced increases in fruit width and fruit length. Additionally, yield gains were highest under consortium inoculation, whereas individual strain inoculations resulted in intermediate responses. These results suggest the potential use of the consortium as an effective bioinoculant for increasing pepper yield. An initial qualitative assessment of soil microbial taxonomic profiles was carried out. Results showed that root-associated soil from individual inoculations showed higher abundances of one dominant fungal taxon compared to the remaining taxa, in contrast to dual inoculation that displayed a more balanced fungal distribution. Also, bacterial taxa were more balanced in inoculated soils compared to the control. Overall, our work reports on a useful microbiological tool to improve sustainability in horticultural systems.

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