Investigation Oftrichoderma spp. Based Bioformulation Against Guava Wilt Caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. PSIDII

Guava (Psidium guajava) is an important tropical fruit crop that contains nutritional and economic significance. In Pakistan, it plays a significant role the agro-industries. However, a disease that is considered to be a major threat to guava cultivation is guava wilt disease that was caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. psidii. Chemical management have only provided temporary remedy. In this research paper, propensity towards the utilization of biocontrol preparations composed of Trichoderma spp. is an attempt with the approach to control guava wilt as an alternate. The objective of the study is to assess the antagonistic impacts of different species ofTrichoderma in vitro assays after which field experiments were conducted at diseased guava orchards. Compared to controls that were untreated, the improvement in the level of plant growth and reduction in the level of disease infliction indicated a forward gain of 50 60 and 70 per cent respectively with the use of Trichoderma harzianum. The economic evaluations further revealed that Trichoderma based products could use up to 60 percent less fungicide treatment than standard chemical fungicides, a factor that may be beneficial to the smallholder farmers in terms of commercializing their produce and ensuring that they are no longer dependent on expensive chemical fertilizers. It was also demonstrated that adoption of these biocontrol agents increased the microbial diversity, overall soil fertility, and sustainability of the agroecosystem in the long run besides leaving a check on the pathogen. This analysis indicates that Trichoderma spp. could be promising biocontrol agent in controlling F. oxysporum caused guava wilt on long term basis. The outcomes are relevant to the effective management of the disease Moreover, in case of successful Trichoderma formulations they can be scaled up to other high valued agriculture, which will impact to sustainability of agriculture practices. Keywords: Guava Wilt, Integrated Pest Management IPM, Biocontrol, Fusarium oxysporum, Trichoderma spp. Sustainable agriculture.