Response of bio stimulants and bio pesticides on growth, yield and quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Introduction

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), a member of the Solanaceae family with a chromosome number of 2n = 24, is the second most important vegetable crop globally, valued for its nutritional and economic significance. Native to the Andean region of South America, tomato is widely cultivated for its edible fruit, rich in vitamins A, B, and C, lycopene, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals known for antioxidant, anticancer, and cardiovascular benefits. Despite comprising about 94% water, tomatoes are highly nutritious and commonly referred to as the "poor man's apple." In India, tomato is cultivated over 8.41 million hectares, yielding 20.3 million metric tonnes (NHB, 2023). Madhya Pradesh is one of the leading producers, contributing around 3.5 million tonnes across 1.5 million hectares (Anonymous, 2023) [3] . However, tomato cultivation is often challenged by biotic and abiotic stresses, including pests, diseases, drought, and soil degradation, which adversely affect yield and quality. To address these challenges, biostimulants and biopesticides have emerged as sustainable alternatives to chemical inputs. Biostimulants such as amino acids, seaweed extracts, and Trichoderma spp. improve plant metabolism, nutrient uptake, stress tolerance, and overall productivity. They enhance root growth, flowering, fruit set, and nutritional quality, including lycopene and vitamin C content (Yildiz Dasgan et al., 2024; Sharma et al., 2014) [27,20] . Amino acids support photosynthesis, flowering, and disease resistance, while seaweed extracts supply essential nutrients and natural hormones (auxins, cytokinins, gibberellins), boosting yield and resilience (Colla et al., 2017) [7] . Biopesticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis and Trichoderma offer effective pest and disease control with minimal International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research 2025; 9(10): 1422 -1428 environmental impact. B. thuringiensis targets lepidopteran pests like fruit borers, and Trichoderma suppresses soilborne pathogens, promotes root health, and enhances plant defense (Sridhar et al., 2019; Muhorakeye et al., 2024) [21,16] . These eco-friendly inputs represent vital components of sustainable tomato production, enhancing growth, yield, and quality while reducing dependency on synthetic chemicals.

Materials and Methods

A field experiment on Tomato was conducted at Experimental field, Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Indore, Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior (M.P.) during the Rabi season 2024-25. The spacing between row to row 0.6 m and plant to plant 0.5 m were maintained. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications. The treatments consist of two Bio stimulants viz., (Amino Acids @ 2 ml/L, Seaweed Extracts @ 2 ml/L), and two Bio pesticides viz., (Bacillus thuringiensis @ 5 ml/L, Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L) sprayed at 15, 30 and 45 DAT. The treatments consists of T0 (Control), T1 (Amino Acids @ 2 ml/L), T2 (Seaweed Extracts @ 2 ml/L), T3 (Bacillus thuringiensis @ 5 ml/L), T4 (Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L), T5 (Amino Acid @ 2 ml/L+ Bacillus thuringiensis @ 5 ml/L), T6 (Amino Acid @ 2 ml/L+ Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L), T7 (Seaweed Extracts @ 2 ml/L+ Bacillus thuringiensis @ 5 ml/L), and T8 (Seaweed Extracts @ 2 ml/L+ Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L). The required amounts of treatments were applied to the corresponding plots, following the specified treatment schedules and at the correct growth stages. Five plants were randomly chosen and tagged in each treatment to record the observations of growth and flowering characteristics.

Results and Discussion

Growth parameters

Data presented in Table 1(a) give idea about the growth parameters such as plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, number of leaves per plant, while Table 1(b) presents the data of internode length (cm), leaf area (cm²), and leaf area index (LAI). It reveals that all are significantly influenced by the topical application of biostimulants and biopesticides. The significantly maximum values for growth parameters such as plant height in cm (35.24, 71.20, 102.02 at 15, 30 and 45 DAT respectively), number of branches per plant (6.00, 13.20, 20.05 02 at 15, 30 and 45 DAT respectively) number of leaves per plant (27.90, 56.73, 80.20 02 at 15, 30 and 45 DAT respectively) were recorded in treatment T8 (Seaweed extract @ 2 ml/L + Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L), while the minimum values were observed in treatment T0 (Control). This enhanced vegetative growth in T8 may be attributed to the presence of macro-and micronutrients, amino acids, vitamins, and other growthpromoting compounds in seaweed extracts that stimulate cellular metabolism, improve photosynthetic efficiency, and facilitate the translocation of assimilates. Seaweed extracts act synergistically as bio-stimulants, improving physiological and biochemical activities in plants, thereby enhancing vegetative growth. These results are in accordance with the findings of Silva et al., (2019) [22] , Soares et al., (2020) [23] , and Pohl et al., (2019) [17] , who reported improved plant performance through seaweed extract application. Additionally, Trichoderma sp. played a crucial role in enhancing nutrient uptake, root development, and phytohormone production, which collectively improved shoot elongation, leaf proliferation, and biomass accumulation. These findings are in line with Li et al. (2015) [15] , who reported that inoculation with Trichoderma harzianum significantly increased plant height and leaf area in tomato. The significantly maximum internode length in cm (5.03, 6.50, 7.05 02 at 15, 30 and 45 DAT respectively), leaf area in cm² (477. 26, 781.34, 1026.31 02 at 15, 30 and 45 DAT respectively), and leaf area index (LAI) (0.177, 0.289, 0.379 at 15, 30 and 45 DAT respectively) were recorded in T8 (Seaweed extract @ 2 ml/L + Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L), while the minimum values were observed in treatment T0 (Control). This is due to the combined application of seaweed extract and Trichoderma sp. exhibited a synergistic effect in promoting vegetative growth there by increasing internode length and leaf area, as also observed by Ashmawi (2021) [4] found that foliar spraying of seaweed extract improved plant height and leaf area, while Trichoderma spp. promoted root development and phytohormone activity. Fatimah et al. (2018) [9] , also reported enhanced hypocotyl and root development with foliar application of Sargassum sp. extract.

Phenological Parameters

Data presented in Tables 2 revealed that phenological parameters such as days to first flower initiation, days to first fruit set, days to first picking, number of flowers per clusters and number of flower cluster per plant were significantly influenced by the external application of biostimulants and biopesticides. The significantly earliest flower initiation (22.05 days), fruit set (75.24 days), and days to first picking (36.85 days) were recorded in treatment T8 (Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L + Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L), whereas the minimum values were observed in treatment T0 (Control). This may be due to to the presence of bioactive compounds in seaweed extract that stimulate hormonal activity, particularly auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins, which play crucial roles in promoting early flowering and fruit development. Seaweed extracts are also known to enhance enzyme activity, protein synthesis, and nutrient availability, which together accelerate floral initiation and support reproductive growth. These results are supported by Subramaniyan et al. (2023) [24] , who reported that foliar application of Ascophyllum nodosum extract significantly improved flowering traits and fruit yield in tomato. The significantly maximum number of flowers per clusters (7.00) and number of flower clusters per plant (10.51) were recorded in treatment T8 (Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L + Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L), whereas the minimum values were observed in treatment T0 (Control). The enhancement of phenological traits under T8 may be due to the fact as seaweed-based biostimulants enhanced plant growth, number of flowers per clusters and clusters per plant, chlorophyll content, flowers and fruit production as observed by Ali et al. (2019) [2] . The synergistic effect of seaweed extract and Trichoderma spp. in treatment T8 likely created favorable physiological and hormonal conditions for early flowering and fruit setting. Trichoderma spp. are known to enhance root development, nutrient uptake, and phytohormone production, which positively influence plant vigor and reproductive traits. This is in line with the findings of Harman et al. (2004) [10] and Contreras-Cornejo et al. (2009) [8] , who demonstrated that Trichoderma species improve plant architecture and stimulate auxin and gibberellin production, leading to earlier floral development and better fruit set. While previous studies focused primarily on individual treatments, the superior performance observed under the combined application in this study highlights its potential as a promising strategy for enhancing reproductive efficiency and yield under open-field conditions.

Yield Parameters

Data presented in Tables 3 showed that yield parameters such as number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight (g), number of fruits per cluster, fruit diameter (cm), yield per plant (kg), yield per plot (kg), and yield per hectare (q) were significantly influenced by the external application of biostimulants and biopesticides. The highest values of number of fruits per plant (34.78), average fruit weight (55.01 g), number of fruits per cluster (3.50), fruit diameter (5.51 cm) were recorded in treatment T8 (Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L + Trichoderma spp. @ 5 g/L), while the lowest were observed in treatment T0 (Control), indicating the superior efficacy of the combined treatment in enhancing fruit yield and related attributes. The improvement in yield parameters under T8 may be attributed to the presence of essential macro-and micronutrients, amino acids, and plant growth-promoting substances in seaweed extracts, which collectively stimulate vegetative and reproductive development. Seaweed-based biostimulants enhance photosynthetic efficiency, chlorophyll content, and assimilate translocation, resulting in an increased number of fruits, greater fruit size, and overall yield. Foliar application of seaweed extracts such as Sargassum horneri and Ascophyllum nodosum has been reported to improve photosynthetic activity and significantly enhance fruit number, clusters, and yield in tomato (Hussain et al., 2021) [11] . The significantly highest values of number of yield per plot (30.61 kg), and yield per hectare (637.84 q) across all yieldrelated traits were recorded in treatment T8 (Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L + Trichoderma spp. @ 5 g/L), while the lowest were observed in treatment T0 (Control), Colla et al. (2014) [7] reported a similar promoting effect of plantderived protein hydrolysate on tomato, demonstrating that the application of this biostimulant stimulated flowering, fruit setting and final yield through an elicited endogenous phytohormonal biosynthesis. In terms of microbial inoculants, Uddin et al. (2016) [25] demonstrated that Trichoderma spp. increased tomato yield from 1.4 kg to 3.0 kg per plant by improving nutrient solubilization and plant vigor. Lanzuise et al. (2022) [14] similarly demonstrated that co-application of Trichoderma strains with medium-long chain fatty acid mixtures resulted in yield increases of up to 90% in tomato, lettuce, and kohlrabi, reinforcing the synergistic effect of microbial consortia and organic biostimulants in enhancing crop productivity and quality.

Quality Parameters

Data presented in Tables 4 revealed that quality parameters such as total soluble solids (TSS °Brix), titratable acidity (g/L), physiological loss in weight (%), and ascorbic acid content (mg/g) were significantly influenced by the external application of biostimulants and biopesticides. The significantly highest values of total soluble solids (TSS 5.21°Brix), titratable acidity (5.57 g/L), physiological loss in weight (11.26 %), and ascorbic acid content (20.76 mg/g) were recorded in treatment T8 (Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L + Trichoderma spp. @ 5 g/L), while the lowest were observed in treatment T0 (Control). The significant improvement of quality parameters under T8 may be attributed to the presence of essential nutrients and bioactive compounds in seaweed extracts that promote carbohydrate accumulation, enhance metabolic activity, and stimulate the biosynthesis of sugars. Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract application enhances tomato fruit quality by increasing TSS, vitamin C, and flavor index. Soil drenching with the extract is especially effective under water-deficit conditions, improving ascorbic acid content and reducing physiological weight loss. (Jalali et al., (2022) [12] and Ahmed et al., (2022) [1] . The inclusion of Trichoderma sp. in the treatment further contributed to improved fruit quality by enhancing nutrient uptake, promoting root health, and increasing the plant's physiological activity as observed by Khan et al. (2017) [13] that increased antioxidant compounds such as ascorbic acid, lycopene and β-carotene in ripe tomato fruits due to the application of 100% Trichoderma bio-compost in field conditions. The combined effects of seaweed extract and Trichoderma sp. thus resulted in improved ascorbic acid content and reduced physiological loss in weight, as reflected in the present study.

Disease and Pest Incidence Parameters

Data presented in Tables 5 revealed that disease and pest incidence parameters, including Percent Disease Intensity (PDI %) and Percent Pest Incidence (PPI %), were significantly influenced by the external application of biostimulants and biopesticides. Among all treatments, the lowest values of Percent Disease Intensity (18.86 %) and Percent Pest Incidence (15.11 %), were recorded by T8 (Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L + Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L) indicating its strong suppressive effect on both disease and pest pressure in tomato plants. In contrast, the maximum incidence of disease and pest attack was observed in the untreated control (T0) due to Seaweed-based formulations are rich in polysaccharides, phytohormones, and other bioactive compounds that activate plant immune responses. Ramesh et al. (2022) [18] reported that foliar spraying of seaweed extracts in tomato effectively reduced early blight severity and fruit borer infestation due to stimulated plant defense responses. The addition of Trichoderma sp. further enhanced disease and pest suppression through biological control mechanisms such as competition, mycoparasitism, and the secretion of hydrolytic enzymes. Trichoderma spp. are well-documented antagonists of soil-borne pathogens like Fusarium oxysporum, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia. Muhorakeye et al. (2024) [16] reported that T. asperellum significantly reduced fusarium wilt severity and nematode infestation in tomato by degrading pathogen cell walls and promoting rhizosphere colonization. Likewise, Brotman et al. (2022) [5] found that T. atroviride enhanced resistance to insect pests in tomato by inducing systemic defense responses and modifying volatile emissions that deter pest activity. The synergistic effect of seaweed extract and Trichoderma sp. contributed not only to disease and pest resistance but also to improved nutrient uptake and root development, creating an environment less favorable for pathogen and pest establishment. These findings are supported by Du Jardin (2015), who highlighted that seaweed-based formulations improve stress tolerance and nutrient assimilation through their rich composition of polysaccharides, amino acids, and phytohormones.

Economic Parameters

Data presented in Table 6 indicated that economic parameters, specifically the Benefit:Cost (B:C) ratio, were significantly influenced by the application of biostimulants and biopesticides. Among all treatments, T8 (Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L + Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L) recorded the highest B:C ratio (1:4.8), reflecting its superior economic viability and profitability under treated conditions. In contrast, the control treatment (T0) exhibited the lowest B:C ratio. The higher profitability observed in T8 may be attributed to the combined effects of increased yield, improved quality parameters, and reduced incidence of pests and diseases, which together contribute to greater marketable produce and reduced input losses. Foliar application of A. nodosum extract significantly reduced bacterial spot and early blight incidence in tomato by up to 50% compared to untreated controls. Similarly, Sanap et al. (2019) [19] reported that the use of Opteine (a seaweed-based extract) effectively reduced pest populations and disease progression, thereby improving overall plant vigor and final yield. In terms of economic returns, the application of seaweed extracts has also demonstrated positive impacts. Yao et al. (2023) [26] observed that seaweed extract derived from Sargassum horneri improved tomato yield by 4.6% to 6.9%, largely due to enhanced photosynthetic efficiency. The highest yield was achieved at an application rate of 60 kg•hm². Additionally, the treatment shortened the ripening period, enabling harvest during more favorable market windows, thereby increasing net economic returns by up to 13.6% compared to untreated plots. Building upon these findings, the present study confirms that the combined use of seaweed extract and Trichoderma sp. further improves economic outcomes by enhancing productivity, reducing crop cycle duration, and boosting resilience under field conditions.

Conclusion

The present investigation demonstrated that the combined application of Seaweed Extract @ 2 mL/L and Trichoderma sp. @ 5 g/L had a significant and positive influence on the growth, phenological, yield, quality, disease and pest resistance, and economic performance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Among all treatments, T8 consistently recorded the best results across all observed parameters, including plant height, leaf area, flowering, fruit setting, fruit yield, total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid content, and reduced Percent Disease Intensity (PDI%) and Percent Pest Incidence (PPI%). The synergistic action of bioactive compounds present in seaweed extract and the beneficial effects of Trichoderma sp. contributed to enhanced nutrient uptake, improved plant physiology, stimulated defense mechanisms, and increased crop productivity. These outcomes not only enhanced tomato growth and yield but also improved fruit quality and minimized losses caused by biotic stress. Economically, the highest Benefit:Cost (B:C) ratio was recorded, indicating its superior profitability compared to other treatments. This suggests that the integration of seaweed extract and Trichoderma sp. can serve as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical inputs in tomato cultivation. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the combined use of seaweed extract and Trichoderma sp. offers a promising strategy for improving the productivity, quality, and profitability of tomato under open-field conditions.

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