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The green shield: Trichoderma’s role in sustainable agriculture against soil-borne fungal threats

Summary

This research demonstrates that Trichoderma fungi, naturally found in soil, can effectively control harmful plant-killing fungi without toxic chemicals. Scientists isolated these beneficial fungi from Kashmir soil samples and tested them against 12 destructive fungal pathogens, finding they successfully inhibited pathogen growth. The study shows promise for farmers to use these natural biocontrol agents as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides.

Background

Soil-borne pathogenic fungi cause significant agricultural crop losses globally. Chemical control methods pose environmental risks and reduce soil fertility. Biological control using microorganisms like Trichoderma offers a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical treatments.

Objective

To isolate Trichoderma species from soil samples in Kashmir Himalaya region and evaluate their in vitro biocontrol efficacy against 12 fungal pathogens using dual culture technique and culture filtrate analysis.

Results

Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride showed radial growth inhibition of 20.18-58.13% and 7.01-67.16% respectively against tested pathogens. T. viride was more effective than T. harzianum in inhibiting radial growth. Culture filtrates at higher concentrations caused significant reduction in mycelial growth of all tested fungal pathogens compared to lower concentrations.

Conclusion

Native Trichoderma species isolated from Kashmir region demonstrated competence as biocontrol agents against 12 soil-borne plant pathogens. These findings support incorporation of Trichoderma species into integrated disease management strategies for sustainable agriculture.
  • Published in:Current Research in Microbial Science,
  • Study Type:Experimental Laboratory Study,
  • Source: PMID: 39649407; DOI: 10.1016/j.crmicr.2024.100313
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