Application of soil biofertilizers to a clayey soil contaminated with Sclerotium rolfsii can promote production, protection and nutritive status of Phaseolus vulgaris.

Sclerotium rolfsii is a soil-borne fungus that causes big losses in productivity of various plant species including Phaseolus vulgaris L. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the impacts of Sclerotium rolfsii on growth and production of common bean plants, (2) determine the effects of Sclerotium rolfsii on nutritive contents of beans, and (3) test the efficacy of bio-inoculants on suppressing plant infection with Sclerotium rolfsii. To fulfill these objectives, we used a coupled pot and field experimental approaches during two growing seasons. Common beans were inoculated with either arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Claroideoglomus etunicatum), Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or Trichoderma viride solely or in different combinations. Non-inoculated plants and fungicide treated ones were considered as reference treatments. Throughout these experiments, minimal amounts of rock phosphate were added during soil preparation for bio-inoculated treatments, while the non-inoculated reference treatments received a full dose of P as calcium superphosphate. Results revealed that all tested bioinoculants significantly raised the activities of plant defense enzymes i.e. chitinase, peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase as compared to non-inoculated control. Likewise, pre-, post- and plant survival percentages significantly increased due to these bio-inoculations. Increased survival percentages were attributed to the concurrent increases in uptake of N, P and Zn nutrients by plants treated with bioinoculants. In this concern, plant nutrients uptake was higher in combined than single bio-inoculant treatments. Moreover, the uptake values of plant nutrients owing to the combined bio-inoculants were higher than the corresponding ones achieved due to fungicide treatment. In conclusion, application of the tested bio-inoculants, especially the combined ones can be considered an eco-friendly approach that not only enhances plants resistance against infection with Sclerotium rolfsii but also improves plant nutritive status.