Trichoderma Viride Biocontrol Agents is the potential antagonistic fungus which prevents the crops from diseases viz. Root rots, wilts, brown rot, damping off, charcoal rot and other soil borne diseases in crops.
Trichoderma is able to suppress more than 60 species of pathogens (Pythium, Botritis, Phoma, Sclerotinia, Fusarium, Ascochyta, Alternaria and others) on different plants (cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbages, peppers, various ornamentals, cereals and grain legume crops).
The active components of biopesticides made on the base of this fungus-antagonist are their spores, mycelium and products of metabolism
The fungus secrets cellulase and chitinase enzymes which react with cell wall of the disease causative pathogenic fungi or bacteria and dissolve the same
Trichoderma utilize the protoplasm as a source of food and multiply its spores. By this method the spores of the pathogenic fungi are destroyed
In the process of development Trichoderma synthesizes a variety of antibiotics (gliotoxin, viridine, trichodermin and others). They destroy the cell walls of phytopathogenic fungi and produce biologically active substances, which stimulate plant growth and development
Advantage:
These strains induce plants to "turn on" their native defense mechanisms offers the likelihood that these strains also will control pathogens other than fungi
Trichoderma possess innate resistance to most agricultural chemicals, including fungicides, although individual strains differ in their resistance