Exploration of Trichoderma spp. and fungal pathogen that causes a strawberry anthracnose and examination of in vitro antagonistic activity

Strawberry (Fragaria Vesca L.) is a kind of fruit that has high economic value. The obstacles that often arise in strawberry cultivation are pests and diseases. One of the alternatives to control the anthracnose is a biological agent known as Trichoderma spp. Trichoderma spp is antagonistic to the pathogen. The objective of this research is to explore the Trichoderma spp. as an antagonistic agent to the fungal pathogen that causes anthracnose disease in strawberry. The Trichoderma spp. was isolated by pour plate method while the pathogen was isolated by a direct plating method. The antagonistic activities of Trichoderma spp. were tested in vitro towards fungal pathogen by dual culture assay. The pathogen and antagonistic agent were paired by using three methods of pairing. The fungal pathogen has a similarity to the members of the Genus Colletotrichum and the two isolated antagonists have a similarity to the member of the Genus Trichoderma. The two Trichoderma spp. (TKL1 and TKL2) have significantly inhibited a radial growth of the pathogen. An introduction of the antagonists before the pathogen has given the best growth inhibition of the pathogen. The inhibitory effect of the two Trichoderma spp. is not significantly differed from each other at p>0,05. The microscopic examination showed that the most common mode of the action was mycoparasitism. The Trichoderma hyphae grew alongside and coiled compactly around the hyphae of the fungal pathogen isolates.