Annals of Agriculture and Environment

Impact Evaluation of Trichoderma Bio-stimulants against Black scurf Potato Disease

Gull-e-laala Khan

University of Poonch Rawalakot

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9412-9566

Muqadus Zafar

Department of Plant Pathology, University of Poonch Rawalakot, AJK, Pakistan

Amna Maqsood

Department of Soil & Environmental Sciences, University of Poonch Rawalakot, AJK, Pakistan, Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Raina Ijaz

Department of Horticulture, University of Poonch Rawalakot, AJK, Pakistan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63611/aae.02.01.025

Keywords: Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma virens, Trichoderma hamatum, Bio-stimulants.

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Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is considered as most consumed vegetable crop around the globe. Climatic variations and intensive cultivation result various threatening issues regarding pathogenic attack on potato crop. To mitigate pesticide usage, adopting innovative bio-strategies are in demand to meet challenges regarding for sustainable food security and future complications. The use of bio-stimulants based on Trichoderma spp. can be an excellent alternative to overcome potato diseases followed by mitigating the outcomes of biotic and abiotic stresses. Present study intensively emphasizes investigating the efficacy determination of different Trichoderma spp., as a biocontrol agent against soil-borne threatening black scruff potato disease following in-vitro Antagonist Efficacy and Dual Plate Bioassays. Among all applied biocontrol species (Trichoderma harzianum, virens and hamatum) T. harzianum was experimentally revealed as an excellent promising bio-agent against growth inhibition of Rhizoctonia solani causing black scurf in potatoes, followed by T. virensand T. hamatum, respectively. Our findings suggest that the bioformulation is a viable alternative to alleviate chemical usage and enhance disease free potato production.