Trichoderma spp. are fungal species in a certain natural suppressive soil that prevents the plant from infectious diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens. Among these soils borne pathogens, the fungus Rhizoctonia solani (R. solani) causes serious damages to economically significant crops and trees.
The control strategies such as breeding for resistant cultivars, crop rotations, and application of fungicides are insufficient to manage diseases caused by R. solani because it persists in soil by producing sclerotia which is a hard-resistant structure. Moreover, fungicides are now unacceptable as they are not environment-friendly.
Trichoderma spp. are the potential biocontrol agents that inhibit R. solani by direct confrontation through mycoparasitic or antibiosis or competition as well as inducing plant defence responses.
In this review paper, we provide the first comprehensive report of a biological control activity (BCA) of Trichoderma spp. against various diseases caused by R. solani. We also report the cloning and functions of genes or proteins of Trichoderma spp. Associated with the suppression of diseases caused by a plant pathogen.
Nevertheless, fast-paced current research regarding Trichoderma spp. is required to fully exploit their actual potential against diseases caused by R. solani under field conditions.
Read the full trial results here.
