Biocontrol of Tomato Fusarium wilt by Trichoderma Species under in vitro and in vivo Conditions

Abstract Trichodermaspp. have long been used as biological control agents against plant fungal diseases, but the mechanisms by which the fungi confer protection are not well understood. Our goal in this study was to isolate species ofTrichoderma, that exhibit high levels of biocontrol efficacy from natural environments and to investigate the mechanisms by which these strains confer plant protection. In this study, efficacy of the native isolates ofTrichodermaspecies to promote the growth and yield parameters of tomato and to manageFusariumwilt disease underin vitroandin vivoconditions were investigated. The dominant pathogen, which causesFusariumwilt of tomato, was isolated and identified asFusarium oxysporumf. sp.lycopersici(FOL). Twenty eight nativeTrichodermaantagonists were isolated from healthy tomato rhizosphere soil in different geographical regions of Mazandaran province, Iran. Underin vitroconditions, the results revealed thatTrichoderma harzianum, isolate N-8, was found to inhibit effectively the radial mycelial growth of the pathogen (by 68.22%). Under greenhouse conditions, the application ofT. harzianum(N-8) exhibited the least disease incidence (by 14.75%). Also, tomato plants treated withT. harzianum(N-8) isolate showed a significant stimulatory effect on plant height (by 70.13 cm) and the dry weight (by 265.42 g) of tomato plants, in comparison to untreated control (54.6 cm and 195.5 g). Therefore, the antagonistT. harzianum(N-8) is chosen to be the most promising bio-control agent forF. oxysporumf. sp.lycopersici. On the base of present study, the biocontrol agents of plant diseases might be exploited for sustainable disease management programs to save environmental risk.