Antagonistic Potential of Different Isolates of Trichoderma against Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Botrytis cinerea

Trichoderma spp. are widely used as bio-fungicides in agriculture. Induction of plant defense and mycoparasitism (killing of one fungus by another) are considered to be the most important mechanisms of Trichoderma-mediated biological control. In the present study, 380 isolates of 21 Trichoderma species were isolated from Grassland forest soil of Iner Mongolia, China and screened for their antagonistic and antibiosis efficacy against Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani and Botrytis cinerea by dual culture. The result indicated that the antagonistic potential of 380 isolates of Trichoderma strains against Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani and Botrytis cinerea were varied which inhibited Fusarium oxysporum ranges 10.12-70.70%, Botrytis cinerea (44.18-82.98%) and Rhizoctonia solani (35.07-88.07). Among isolates of Trichoderma, 195 isolates showed strong antagonistic potential which inhibited >50% mycelial growth of F. oxysporum, 319 and 377 Trichoderma isolates inhibited >50% mycelial growth of R. solani and B. cinerea respectively. Furthermore, 47 Trichoderma strains have inhibited >50% mycelial growth and have >30 Mycoparasitism for the three tested pathogens. Moreover, one hundred eighty five (185) isolates were also showed inhibitory but their antagonistic potential <50% of the mycelial growth while 50 isolates showed <40% mycelial growth of F. oxysporum, 61 isolates showed <50% mycelial growth for R. solani and 3 isolates showed <50% mycelial growth for B. cinerea. These potential isolates of Trichoderma may be further exploited as a biocontrol agent against F. oxysporum, R. solani and B. cinerea as well as other soilborne phytopathogenic fungi.