IN-VITRO ANTAGONISTIC POTENTIAL OF SELECTED TRICHODERMA STRAINS AGAINST ANTHELIA ROLFSII OF TOMATO

Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ), a critical global crop, is highly vulnerable to soil-borne pathogens like Athelia rolfsii , which causes devastating diseases such as southern blight and damping-off. This study evaluated the antagonistic potential of 14 molecularly identified Trichoderma strains against A. rolfsii using in-vitro dual culture techniques. Experimental setups included simultaneous, prophylactic, and curative inoculation methods, with treatments assessed for their ability to suppress pathogen growth over nine days. The results revealed significant differences in the efficacy of inoculation methods. Prophylactic inoculation demonstrated superior performance, reducing mycelial growth of A. rolfsii to 3.48 mm by Day 9, compared to 4.68 mm and 5.96 mm for simultaneous and curative methods. Among the Trichoderma strains, T4, T29, and T22 consistently exhibited the highest antagonistic activity, achieving up to 54.6% inhibition of A. rolfsii growth by Day 9. The study also confirmed the statistical significance of these findings, emphasizing the critical role of early application in enhancing pathogen suppression. The data underscore the potential of specific Trichoderma strains as effective biological control agents, offering environmentally sustainable alternatives to chemical fungicides. These findings provide a foundation for integrating Trichoderma into tomato disease management programs, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. Further research into field-level applications and strain-specific biocontrol mechanisms is recommended.