Trichoderma is a biocontrol agent that can be used to control plant pathogens and diseases. It acts through mycoparasitism, antibiosis, competition, and induced resistance. Trichoderma species like T. harzianum and T. viride are effective biocontrol agents that can control diseases caused by fungi like Fusarium, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia. Trichoderma is mass produced using liquid or solid state fermentation and formulated products are available from various companies for seed treatment, soil application, and other uses to promote plant growth and manage diseases in agricultural crops.

1. ““TRICHODRMA AS A BIOCONTROLTRICHODRMA AS A BIOCONTROL
AGENTAGENT ""

3.  What is biological control, what are the benefits
to its use
 Need of biological control agents
 Mechanism of biological control agents
 Requirements of successful biocontrol agents
 Working example of biocontrol
agentTrichoderma ssp.
 Available Biopesticides and its use in
Agriculture

4. Importance of plant diseases
Estimated annual crop production worldwide
Amount lost to disease, insects, weeds using
current control measures
Additional losses without current control measures
$1.2 - 1.3 trillion$1.2 - 1.3 trillion
$500 billion$500 billion
$330 billion$330 billion
Verticillium wiltVerticillium wilt
Citrus cankerCitrus canker
Fireblight of pearFireblight of pear Apple scab
Rice blast
( IMF and CIA World Factbook, 2014)

5. 2013: world spent $43.4 billion$43.4 billion on
chemical pesticides
Of this, < 1%< 1% actually gets to
where the pathogen is
What happens to the rest?
Ground water
Taken up by the plant
Development of resistance
Current approaches to disease control
Chemical
Identification of resistance genes
Introgressing into commercial
cultivars
Problems with development of
resistance, pyramiding genes
Breeding
Biological Control is an attractive alternative/supplement

6. Control of plant pathogens and diseases caused by them through antagonistic
microorganisms or botanicals is termed biological control agents
 According to Baker and Cook’s (1974) - “Biological control is the
reduction of inoculum or disease producing activity of a pathogen
accomplished by or through one or more organisms other than man.”
 Antagonistic microorganisms like species of Trichoderma, Penicillium,
Bacillus, Pseudomonas etc.

7.  Chemical pesticides
Implicated in environmental and human health
problems
– Require yearly treatments and expensive
– Toxic to both beneficial and pathogenic species
• Biological control agents
– Non-toxic to human and animal
– Not polluted
– Host specific
•Only effect one or few species

8. WHEN :
 Biological control agents are
◦ Low cost
◦ Labor intensive
◦ Host specific
WHILE :
 Chemical pesticides are:
◦ cost-effective
◦ easy to apply
◦ Broad spectrum

9. How does Biological Control works
Nutrient Competition
Biological
Control
Antibiosismycoparasitism
Induced resistance
Tolerance to stress
through enhanced
root and plant
development
Inactivation of the
pathogen’s enzymes

10.  An ideal biocontrol agent should satisfy
most all, of the following attributes
• Must not be pathogenic to plants and animals
• Level of pathogen control must be high
• Should live longer in soil or host tissues
• Should have rapid reproductive capacity
• Should be a good competitor
• Should have high survival rate in soil or host tissues
• Should be capable of controlling more than one
pathogen
• Should be suitable for long-term storage
• Should be compatible to use with agro-chemicals
viz. fertilizers, pesticides etc.

12. 1671 – First found in Germany
1794 – Identified by Persoon almost 218 years ago
1927 – Gilman and Abbott recognized four species based on
colour, shape of conidia and colony appearance
>75 years ago the potential use of Trichoderma by Weindling
(1932) and first to demonstrate the parasitic activity in wilt of
Pigeon pea
Best known mycoparasite against many soil borne plant pathogens

13.  Very effective biological agent
 Free living
 Highly proliferating
 Non- pollutive
 Easily accessible
 Non phytotoxic
 Systemic ephemeral
 Readily biodegradable
 Cost effective
 Synergistic effect
 Longer shelf life
 Greater compatibility

14.  A genus of fungi, including many species that can be used
to control phytopathogenic fungi.
 generally, soil dwelling saprophytes. They have a rapid
growth rate, sporulate abundantly, compete well with other
 show resistance to chemical pesticides and produce various
antibiotics (e.g., gliotoxin and viridin).
 control of wood-rotting, wound-infecting and soil-borne
fungal pathogens of seedlings and mature plants.
Conidiophores
Conidia
Hyphae
Morphological structure of Trichoderma

15. Kulkarni and Sagar (2007) mentioned the Trichoderma as asexual stage
and Hypocrea as sexual stage
Position Asexual stage
(conidia)
Sexual stage
(ascospore)
Kingdom Fungi Fungi
Phylum Ascomycota Ascomycota
Sub-division Deuteromycotina Ascomycotina
Class Hyphomycetes Pyrenomycetes
Order Monilliales Sphariales
Family Monilliaceae Hypocreaceae
Genus Trichoderma Hypocrea

16.  Cultures are fast growing at 25-30° C
 Conidia forming within on week in compact
or loose tufts in shades of green or yellow
or less frequently white
 Yellow pigment may be secreted into the
agar, specially on PDA
 A characteristic sweet or ‘coconut’ odour
is produced by some species

17. Chlamydospores
Conidia
Phialides
Hyphae
Conidiophores
Septate hyaline hyphae.
Conidiophores are
hyaline, branched
Phialides are hyaline,
flask-shaped, and inflated
at the base.
The colour of
the conidia is mostly
green.
Trichoderma spp.
may also produce
chlamydospores

18. Singh et al., 2007.

19. Potential bio control activities exhibited by TrichodermaPotential bio control activities exhibited by Trichoderma
Kamala and Indira, 2012, Manipur

20. For space and nutrients under specific condition do not get substrate
Suppress growth of pathogen population
e.g: Soil treatment with Trichoderma harzianum spore suppressed
infestation of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum and F. oxysporum f.
sp. melonis
(Perveen and Bokhari, 2012)
Mechanisms of action

21. Mycoparasitism
Antagonist fungi parasitize other pathogenic fungi
Hyphae of Trichoderma either grow along the host hyphae or coil
around it
E.g. : T. harzianum and T. hamatum were mycoparasite
of both Scelerotium rolfsii and R. solani

22. Interaction –
 Coiling of hyphae around the pathogen,
 Vacuolization,
 Penetration by haustoria and
 lysis (Omero et al., 1999).
 Recognize and attach to the pathogenic fungus and excrete extra-cellular
lytic enzymes like β-1,3-glucanase, chitinase, proteases and lipase
(Schlick et al., 1994).

23. Trichoderma coils around, penetrates, and kills other fungi that are
pathogenic (i.e. cause disease) to crops. It can digest their cell walls
A clear view with an electron microscope
Trichoderma spp.(T) fungal strands
coil (C) around the Rhizoctonia (R)
Initial stages of degradation (D) as a result of
Trichoderma generated enzymes.
T: Trichoderma R: Rhizoctonia

24. Antibiosis
 It is the condition in which one or more metabolites
excreted by an organism have harmful effect on one or more
other organisms
 In such antagonistic relationship spp. A produces a chemical
substance that is harmful to Spp. B without a Spp. A deriving
any direct benefit
e.g: Trichoderma secreted - Trichodermin, viridine,
Trichothecin, Sesqiterpine etc.

25. Growth inhibition of R. solani by the T. virens produced antibiotic
gliotoxin . A: Gliotoxin amended B: non amended
Cont…

26. Trichoderma strains solubilize phosphates and micronutrients
The application of Trichoderma strains in rhizosphere of plants
increases the number of deep roots, there by increasing the plants
ability to resist drought
Plant growth promoter

27. Fig.: Enhanced root development from field grown bean plants as a consequence
of root colonization by the rhizosphere competent strain T. harzianum
(Amin et al., 2010)
Cont…

29. Mass production of biocontrol agents
Liquid fermentation method

31.  Substrates for mass multiplication: wheat bran, wheat
straw, FYM, press mud, coir pith, ground nut shell, rice bran, etc
 Carrier/ food base materials: Talc, vermiculite, molasses,
gypsum, kaolin, peat, sodium alginate, Cacl2

32. Organism Trade Name Target Crops
Trichoderma
virens
SoilGard 12G3 Pythium,
Rhizoctonia, and
Root rots
Ornamental and food crop plants grown in
greenhouses,
Trichoderma
harzianum Rifai
strain KRL-AG3
Plant Shield® HC Fusarium,
Pythium, and
Rhizoctonia
Cucurbit vegetables, flowers, bedding plants,
Trichoderma
harzianum Rifai
strain KRL-AG2
T-22™ HC Fusarium,
Pythium, and
Rhizoctonia
Agronomic field and row crops, alfalfa, hay and
forage crops, bulb crops, cucurbits, fruiting
vegetables, herbs, spices, leafy vegetables,
cole crops, legumes, root crops, small grains
and tuber crops
Trichoderma
harzianum Rifai
strain KRL-AG2
T-22™ Planter
Box
Fusarium,
Pythium, and
Rhizoctonia
Agronomic field and row crops, alfalfa, hay and
forage crops, bulb crops, cucurbits, fruiting
vegetables

33.  There are several reputable companies that manufacture
government registered products.
Trade Name Bio agent Manufacture
Eco fit T. viride Hoechst and Schering AgroEvo Ltd,
Mumbai India
Super visit T. harzianum Fytovita, Czech Republic
Soil guard T. virens Certis Inc,Columbia,MD,USA
Root pro T. harzianum Efal Agri, Netanyl,Israel
Tusal T. Viride +T.
harzianum
Tusal Carrera Ester, Lleida Spain
Agroderma, Bio-cure,
Bioderma, Ecofit,
Rakshak, Trichosan
Trichoderma viride
Biocure (B&F) T. Viride and P. flourescens

34. 1.Seed treatment
•Dose: @5 g /kg of seed
•Method: Make a paste or slurry adding 5 g in 10-20 ml of water
. Pour 1kg of seed on to the paste or slurry and mixed properly
to coat the seeds uniformly .Shade dry the coated seeds for 20-
30 minutes before sowing
2.Tuber/Rhizome/Cutting treatment:
•Dose: @ 10 g /litre of water
•Method:Dip the tuber / rhizome/cuttings in the suspension
prepare @ 10 g /litre of water. Shade dry for 15 minutes before
planting
(Medhi,2009)

35. Seedling Treatment:
•Dose: 300 g/ha.
•Method: Prepare a suspension @ 5-10 g/litre of water. Dip the
roots of seedling for 15minutes and shade dry for 15 minutes
before transplanting
Nursery bed treatment:
•Dose: 250 g for 400 sq.m nursery bed.
•Method: 1) prepare a suspension by adding 250 g in 50 litres of
water and drench the nursery bed soil.
•2) Mixed 250 g in 2 kg cow dung / compost/FYM and spread
over 400 sq.m. nursery bed and irrigate the bed.

36. Soil treatment:
i) Direct broadcasting:
•Dose: 300 g/ha.
•Method: Mix 300 g in 6 kg of FYM. Broadcast in one ha of land and irrigate the
field.
ii) Awaited broadcasting
•Dose: 30 g/ha
•Method: Mixed 30 g in 6 kg of FYM. Cover the mixture with polythene sheet for 7-
15 days and broadcast in the field
iii) Furrow application:
•Dose:300g /ha.
•Method: It is highly effective in root crops like potato, ginger, turmeric etc and
sugarcane.The mixture is applied in furrows at the time of earthing up or after 30
days of planting

37. • Decrease disease intensity.
• Reduce the use of chemical fungicides.
•Reduce undesirable effects from chemical pesticide.
• Play a key role in integrated management of diseases
•Safe for the users and the farming community.
• Provide natural long term immunity to crops and
soil
( Shrivastava , 1996 ).

38. •Deterious effects on non-target micro-
organisms
•Pathogens may develop resistance to the
biocontrol agent
•Pathogen replacement may follow control of
target disease pathogen
•Seasonal/weather phenomena can make
biocontrol agent ineffective
( Shrivastava , 1996 ).

39. CONCLUSIONS
Biological control an attractive alternative to
chemicals
Trichoderma species are effective in biological control of
fungus-induced plant disease
Plant diseases cause major loss of food and
money
Biological control occurs via several mechanisms
Competition
Antagonism
Mycoparasitism