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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp2 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Bioprospecting Trichoderma spp. from diverse ecological niches for antifungal activity against soilborne pathogens

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13152
Submitted
10 December 2025
Published
23-06-2026

Abstract

The growing threat of soilborne plant pathogens and the risks associated with chemical fungicides make the use of sustainable biocontrol alternatives essential. Trichoderma species are ubiquitous soil-inhabiting fungi commonly associated with decomposing plant residues and are widely recognised for their potential as effective biocontrol agents in sustainable agriculture. In the present study 7 indigenous Trichoderma spp. isolates were retrieved out of rhizosphere soils of different agro-ecological zones of India and thoroughly combined against 6 major soil borne pathogens like Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, Alternaria brassicicola, Curvularia geniculata, Phomopsis vexans and Ustilaginoidea virens in this study. It was found in dual culture assays that isolates TriB (Bareilly) and TriJO (Jobner) had better and broad-spectrum inhibitory action (up to 84 %) against all the pathogens tested. The strains were also sturdy in physiological adaptive capacity in 8 nutrient media demonstrating the formation capability. Their morphology was characterised as belonging to Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma harzianum clades, which are generally known to be effective in biocontrol along with internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-based molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis. The high degree of antagonism is attributed to synergistic mechanisms such as mycoparasitism, production of antibiotics, nutrient competition, and activation of host plant defense responses (induced systemic resistance, ISR). The results of this experiment both TriB and TriJO are noteworthy candidates in the development of formulation of region-specific biopesticides. Future studies will emphasise field validation and metabolomic profiling, followed by formulation standardisation for use in integrated disease management (IDM) programs across diverse cropping systems.

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