The antagonistic effect of Trichoderma harzianum on a range of seed-borne fungal pathogens of wheat (viz. Fusarium graminearum, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Aspergillus spp., and Penicillium spp.) was assessed. The potential of T. harzianum as a biocontrol agent was tested in vitro and under field conditions. Coculture of the pathogens and Trichoderma under laboratory conditions clearly showed domina...

Plants are constantly exposed to microbes, for this reason they have evolved sophisticated strategies to perceive and identify biotic interactions. Thus, plants have large collections of so-called resistance (R) proteins that recognize specific microbe factors as signals of invasion. One of these proteins is codified by the Arabidopsis thaliana HR4 gene in the Col-0 ecotype that is homologous t...

Fungi Trichoderma spp. are present in nearly all soils and other habitats. Most of Trichoderma strains are efficient for control of some pathogens. Some strains induce plant native defence mechanisms. Botrytis cinerea [Pers.: Fr.] causes economic losses on a wide range of cultivated plants and stored fruits. In presented work Trichoderma asperellum [strain T1] isolated from commercial product w...

Certain species of the fungal genus Trichoderma are potent mycoparasites and are used for biological control of fungal diseases on agricultural crops. In Trichoderma, whole-genome sequencing reveal between 20 and 36 different genes encoding chitinases, hydrolytic enzymes that are involved in the mycoparasitic attack. Sequences of Trichoderma chitinase genes chi18-5, chi18-13, chi18-15 and chi18...

Trichoderma asperellum and cucumber seedlings were used as a model to study the modulation of Trichoderma gene expression during plant root colonization. Seedlings were grown in an aseptic hydroponics medium and inoculated with Trichoderma spore suspension. Proteins differentially secreted into the medium were isolated. Three major proteins of fungal origin were identified: two arabinofuranosid...

Biological control involves the use of beneficial organisms, their genes, and/or products, such as metabolites, that reduce the negative effects of plant pathogens and promote positive responses by the plant. Disease suppression, as mediated by biocontrol agents, is the consequence of the interactions between the plant, pathogens, and the microbial community. Antagonists belonging to the genus ...

The antagonistic potential of Trichoderma strains was assayed by studying the effect of their culture filtrate on the radial growth of Sclerotium rolfsii, the causal agent of chickpea collar rot. Trichoderma harzianum-1432 (42.2%) and Trichoderma atroviride (40.3%) were found to be strong antagonists. To enhance their antagonistic potential, mutagenesis of these two selected strains was perform...

Endophytic fungi, which live within host plant tissues without causing any visible symptom of infection, are important mutualists that mediate plant-herbivore interactions. Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) is one of the key pests of onion, Allium cepa L., an economically important agricultural crop cultivated worldwide. However, information on endophyte colonization of onions, and their impacts on the ...

An isolate of Trichoderma harzianum Rifai from an infected cacao pod produces and secretes nonanoic (pelargonic) acid into a liquid culture medium. Nonanoic acid (NA) was very inhibitory to spore germination and mycelial growth of two cacao pathogens, Crinipellis perniciosa Stahel and Moniliophthora roreri Cif. H.C. Evans. It was highly active causing 75% inhibition of spore germination in an i...

The role of a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) TmkA in inducing systemic resistance in cucumber against the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. lacrymans was investigated by using tmkA loss-of-function mutants of Trichoderma virens. In an assay where Trichoderma spores were germinated in proximity to cucumber roots, the mutants were able to colonize the plant roots as effectively...