Obtención y caracterización de hongos asociados a plantas con potencial como bioplaguicidas y biofertilizantes

ENG- Currently, agriculture requires products to protect crops against pests and diseases. Due to the problems generated by chemical synthesis products, such as the negative impact on the environment and on people's health, the study of products where the active material is microorganisms is erected as an alternative or complement to the products of synthesis. In addition, this type of product complies with the principles of the European Directive on the sustainable use of plant protection products (Directive 10009/128/EC) and with the strategy of the European Green Deal (Green Deal). This thesis has focused on the isolation, identification, and characterization of fungi that present interesting characteristics for their development as phytosanitary products for the protection of crops against diseases and for the development of biostimulants. Given that the products to be developed would be used in the Mediterranean agro-climatic zone, fungi adapted to the agro-climatic conditions of this zone have been isolated. From 206 isolated fungi, twenty-six strains were selected, of which characteristics such as antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens, growth-promoting activity of representative crops, and nematicidal activity were studied. The strains that presented the best activity profile in these studies were those belonging to the genus Trichoderma. Finally, the three Trichoderma strains with the best results were selected, which were characterized and typed. Subsequently, seven representative horticultural, woody and extensive crops were used to determine their capabilities in controlling diseases caused by phytopathogenic microorganisms and their growth-promoting capacity in these crops. Furthermore, their defense-inducing abilities were studied in tomato plants under in vitro conditions. As a result of this work, three strains of the genus Trichoderma are available that present great potential for the development of new phytosanitary and biostimulants products