Effect of substrates on growth and shelf life of Trichoderma harzianum and its use in biocontrol of diseases

Abstract

A study on the effect of different agrowastes on the population density and shelf life of Trichoderma harzianum indicated that all the substrates showed effective propagation of T. harzianum; however, the population count after 30 days was maximum in used tea leaves (8 × 108 cfu/g) and shelf life was found to be maximum (2.9 × 105 cfu/g after 210 days) in wheat bran-sawdust. The application of these formulations on chickpea and groundnut plants significantly reduced the percent mortality due to chickpea wilt complex and groundnut collar rot disease, respectively. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.