Early Biocontrol Activity of Trichoderma gamsii T6085 Against Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat by a Multisensor Image‐Based Time Series Approach

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the timing of the early biocontrol effects of Trichoderma gamsii T6085 against Fusarium graminearum in wheat spikelets using a high‐throughput, multisensor, image‐based time series approach. Dissected Triticum aestivum ‘Apogee’ spikelets were pretreated with T6085 conidia 24 h before inoculation with the pathogen. Physiological responses were monitored every 6 h for 5 days via chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlFl), red‐green‐blue (RGB) and thermal infrared (TIR) imaging. The results showed that T6085 effectively delayed the onset of infection and significantly reduced disease progression. Quantitatively, T6085‐treated spikelets maintained greenness levels comparable to healthy controls throughout the experiment, while by 120 h post‐infection the photoprotective capacity (NPQ_Lss) in co‐inoculated spikelets was higher than in those infected with the pathogen alone. At the final sampling time, yellowness was increased when the pathogen was inoculated alone (+34.1%) and, at minor extend, when co‐inoculated with T6085 (+14.8%). In the presence of T6085 alone the improvement was lower (+7.6%). Area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) values derived from photosynthetic activity confirmed that T6085 preserved spikelet vitality at levels similar to non‐infected controls (−6.4%). These findings demonstrate that non‐destructive imaging can detect biocontrol activity at very early stages, laying the groundwork for informed, timely intervention strategies to minimise yield losses under agricultural conditions.