TRICHODERMA ATROVIRIDE (T14) DERIVED PUTATIVE MUTANTS WITH ENHANCED CHITINASES ABILITY AGAINST RHIZOCTONIA SOLANI

Filamentous fungi of the genus Trichoderma are renowned for their opportunistic nature, exhibiting a wide array of interactions with plants, including the ability to combat plant-pathogenic fungi, promote plant growth, and enhance plant defence responses.Gamma-ray irradiation of wild-type Trichoderma atroviride (T14) led to the development of various mutant strains with enhanced genetic diversity, which are promising candidates for strain improvement.Through biochemical screening and in vitro confrontation assays, we identified mutants that exhibit superior chitinase production and enhanced mycoparasitic activity against R. solani.These findings suggest that gamma-ray-induced mutants of T. atroviride (T14) with increased chitinase production and antagonistic capabilities hold significant potential for use as effective biological control agents against various pathogenic fungi.