Biocontrol Potential of Trichoderma spp. against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris through Culture Filtrate Technique

Aims: To evaluate the antifungal efficacy of culture filtrates of native Trichoderma isolates in inhibiting the mycelial growth of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris causing chickpea wilt disease.

Study Design: This study employed a completely randomized design (CRD) with treatments comprising culture filtrates of seven Trichoderma isolates tested at two concentrations (10% and 25%).

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at Department of Plant Pathology, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda, Uttar Pradesh, India, between 2022-23.

Methodology: Culture filtrates from seven Trichoderma spp. isolates (T. ovalisporum, T. asperellum1, T. pseudokoningii, T. longibrachiatum, T. harzianum1, T. asperellum2, and T. harzianum2) were prepared and applied to the fungal pathogen at 10% and 25% concentrations. Mycelial growth (mm) and mycelial growth inhibition (%) of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris were recorded and statistically analyzed. A control group (without filtrate) was maintained for comparison.

Results: At 10% concentration, T. pseudokoningii showed the highest inhibition (63.89%) with mycelial growth reduced to 27.50 mm, followed by T. harzianum1 (49.01%) and T. asperellum1 (48.58%). At 25% concentration, T. pseudokoningii achieved 73.02% inhibition, reducing mycelial growth to 19.83 mm, followed by T. harzianum1 (61.68%). The control group exhibited the highest mycelial growth (76.16 mm at 10% and 73.50 mm at 25%). Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences among treatments (CD (p=0.05) = 1.755 and 1.392 for 10% and 25% concentrations, respectively. Next best effective treatments were T. harzianum1 and T. ovalisporum, both of whom showed substantial inhibition rates of 61.68% and 58.96%, respectively at 25% concentrations.

Conclusion: Culture filtrates from T. pseudokoningii demonstrated superior antifungal activity at both tested concentrations, highlighting its potential as a biocontrol agent. These findings suggest the feasibility of utilizing native Trichoderma isolates as eco-friendly alternatives for managing chickpea wilt. Further field validation and exploration of underlying biochemical mechanisms are recommended.