Influence of Trichoderma spp on Macrophoma theicola

What is it about?

Branch canker disease caused by the fungus Macrophoma theicola is a major stem disease that reduces the yield of south Indian tea plantations. Hence the present study aimed to assess the efficacy of the biocontrol agent Trichoderma spp against various isolates of Macrophoma spp. For this matter, different tea-growing regions of south India were surveyed for the isolation and characterization of Macrophoma spp. Then, fungal biocontrol strains (Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma atroviride, Trichoderma harzianum, and Gliocladium virens) were procured from microbial type culture collection Centre (MTCC) to screen their antagonistic potential on different isolates Macrophoma spp. The spores of Macrophoma spp were examined through a light microscope and identified by their peculiar morphological features such as non-septum pycnidiospores present in the sac and oval shape spore with stalk and confirmed using 18S rRNA gene sequence. The results revealed that the biocontrol G. virens followed by T. harzianum showed a higher inhibitory effect on different isolates of Macrophoma spp in the dual plate and culture filtrate studies. In the well diffusion method, the fungal biocontrol agents were found to be exhibit non-significant differences on different isolates of branch canker pathogen. The hyphal interactions studies showed that the pathogenic hyphal wall shrunk and penetrated by the interaction of G. virens.

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Photo by Paul-Vincent Roll on Unsplash

Photo by Paul-Vincent Roll on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The objectives of this study were (i) to survey, isolate and identify branch canker pathogens from different tea growing regions of south India (The Anamallais, Vandiperiyar and Coonoor). (ii) to determine the effect of different fungal biocontrol strains (Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma atroviride, Trichoderma harzianum and Gliocladium virens) on different isolates of branch canker pathogens.

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