Effect of Volatile Metabolites of Trichoderma Species against Seven Fungal Plant Pathogens In-vitro

Six isolates of Trichoderma spp. were tested for their ability to produce volatile metabolites  against seven fungal plant pathogens viz., Fusarium oxysporum (causing chilli wilt), Rhizoctonia solani (causing sheath blight of rice), Sclerotium rolfsii (causing collar rot of tomato), Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (causing web blight of beans), Colletotrichum capsici (causing anthracnose of chilli fruit), Helminthosporium oryzae (causing brown spot of rice), Alternaria brassicicola (causing Alternaria blight of cabbage). Studies indicated that T. viride (Tv-1) was most effective in reducing the mycelial growth of F. oxysporum (41.88%), whereas, in case of R. solani T. viride (Tv-2) accounted for maximum reduction in mycelial growth (30.58%) and sclerotial production (65.65%). Volatile metabolites from T. viride (Tv-1) caused maximum reduction in mycelial growth and sclerotial production in S. rolfsii and S. sclerotiorum. Maximum inhibition of mycelial growth of C. capsici and A. brassicicola was recorded with T. viride (Tv-1), whereas, in H. oryzae, T. harzianum (Th-1) accounted for maximum reduction in mycelial growth (37.16%).Key words: Trichoderma spp., Plant pathogens, Biocontrol, Volatile metabolites Faheem Amin et al. Effect of Volatile Metabolites of Trichoderma Species against Seven Fungal Plant Pathogens In-vitro. J Phytol 2/10 (2010) 34-3