Control of fusarium wilt of Solanum melongena by Trichoderma spp.

Biological control of wilt of egg plant (Solanum melongena L.) caused by Fusarium solani was made with the application of five Trichoderma species, T. harzianum, T. viride, T. lignorum, T. hamatum and T. reesei. The effect of volatile and non-volatile antibiotics of Trichoderma origin on growth inhibition of the wilt pathogen was studied. T. harzianum showed maximum growth inhibition (86.44 %) of the pathogen through mycoparasitism. The non-volatiles produced by the Trichoderma species exhibited 100 % growth inhibition of the pathogen under in vitro condition. Production of siderophores and fungal cell wall degrading enzymes, chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase were found. Treatments with two most efficient Trichoderma species, T. harzianum and T. viride resulted in the decreasing population of Fusarium solani in soil thereby deterring disease incidence in field condition.