MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

New species and records of Trichoderma isolated as mycoparasites and endophytes from cultivated and wild coffee in Africa

Summary

Scientists discovered 16 different species of Trichoderma fungi living in coffee plants and on coffee rust fungus in Africa, including four previously unknown species. These beneficial fungi show promise as natural pest controllers for coffee leaf rust, a major disease threatening coffee production worldwide. Interestingly, the same fungi were not found in coffee plants surveyed in Brazil, suggesting they may be unique to African coffee populations. This discovery could help farmers control this destructive disease without chemicals.

Background

Trichoderma species are widely distributed fungi with diverse biological activities, but Africa has been poorly covered in terms of assessing their diversity. Trichoderma species are recognized as mycoparasites and endophytes with potential roles in plant defense and biocontrol. This study focuses on Trichoderma occurring as endophytes in Coffea and mycoparasites of coffee rusts in African coffee centers of origin.

Objective

The main objective was to collect, isolate, and identify Trichoderma species from Coffea plants and associated Hemileia rusts in Africa, particularly in Cameroon and Ethiopia. The study aimed to assess their potential as biocontrol agents against coffee leaf rust (CLR) caused by Hemileia vastatrix, an increasing constraint to coffee production in the Americas.

Results

Ninety-four Trichoderma isolates were obtained: 76 as endophytes and 18 as mycoparasites, grouped into 16 species including four novel taxa. T. botryosum and T. pseudopyramidale constituted over 60% of isolations, predominantly from wild C. arabica in Ethiopian cloud forest. No Trichoderma isolates were obtained from Brazil using the same protocol, suggesting a Trichoderma void in coffee endophyte mycobiota outside Africa.

Conclusion

The study reveals previously unrecorded diversity of Trichoderma species endophytic in Coffea and mycoparasitic on Hemileia rusts in Africa. The African Trichoderma isolates show potential for classical biological control of coffee leaf rust either as endophytic protectors or through mycoparasitic action, with implications for addressing the ongoing CLR crisis in Central America.
  • Published in:Scientific Reports,
  • Study Type:Survey and Descriptive Study,
  • Source: PMID: 33707461, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84111-1
Scroll to Top