Control of Fusarium wilt of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) by Trichoderma species

Trichoderma species isolated from soil was investigated for ability to control wilt disease of tomato seedlings in sterile potted soil. The roots of four weeks old tomato seedlings were treated with different spores concentration (103/106 spores/ml) of Trichoderma species and placed into sterile soil inoculated with 106 spores/ml) of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. The different spores concentration (103 and 106 spores/ml) of Trichoderma species prevented wilt disease development in the tomato seedlings in varying degrees. Tomato seedlings were effectively protected from infection when the pathogen F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici and Trichoderma species were iniculated simultaneously. Control of wilt disease was less effective when spores of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici were allowed to grow one day ahead of spores of Trichoderma species. And there was no protection when the spores of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici were allowed to grow two days ahead of Trichoderma species.