Tomato plants growing in perlite enriched with T. asperellum strain T34 had better nutrient uptake, better C allocation and N assimilation in roots leading to an improvement in dry weight, height and total leaf area than plants grown in perlite alone. Plants grown in perlite enriched with T34 had no stress effects, measured by the overall physiological parameters. The induction of disease resistance observed in perlite enriched with T34 is not linked to the SA pathway/ABA.