Functional Diversity in Trichoderma from Low-Anthropogenic Peruvian Soils Reveals Distinct Antagonistic Strategies Enhancing the Biocontrol of Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

This study aimed to isolate and characterize native Trichoderma species from soils with low anthropogenic activity in the central Peruvian rainforest and evaluate their antagonistic mechanisms against Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of gray mold and a model polyphagous pathogen. Twenty Trichoderma isolates were evaluated using inhibition assays, a quantitative assessment of mycoparasitism, and endophytic colonization tests in Capsicum baccatum. Ten isolates with promising antifungal activity were identified at the molecular level, revealing T. azadirachtae and T. anisohamatum as the first reports for Peru. Several strains showed a remarkable capacity for root colonization, and in vitro antagonistic activity reached maximum values of approximately 65%. These findings highlight the functional and phylogenetic diversity of Trichoderma strains from Peruvian rainforest soils and support their potential as sustainable biocontrol agents against B. cinerea.