EFFECT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS ON MASS PRODUCTION OF TRICHODERMA SPECIES

Abstract

Mycophagous fungi show antagonistic potential against plant pathogenic fungi and suggested as a promising biocontrol agent that influences by nutritional and environmental parameters. The present research was conducted with the aim to determine optimal environmental and nutritional parameters range for biomass production of Trichoderma. The two species of Trichoderma isolated from rhizosphere of citrus, wheat and tomato of different localities of district Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan and later on effect of temperature, carbon, nitrogen and pH were investigated on three strain of T. harzianum HM, HK, HC and one strain of T. asperellum TH under in vitro conditions. All strains produced statistically sufficient mass production at all temperatures but 25 °C as well as 30 °C were found ideal for mass production of Trichoderma. A substantial difference in mass production of Trichoderma isolates was recorded at different pH levels includes 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0. The pH range from 5.0 to 7.0 found to be optimum for all species of Trichoderma. All fungal species of Tricoderma produced extensive mass production on growth media supplemented with carbon and nitrogen sources such as mannose, glactose, sucrose, lactose and sodium nitrite (NaNO₃), potassium nitrate (KNO₃), ammonium nitrate (NH4NO₃) as well as ammonium nitrite (NH₄NO₃) respectively. The optimal mass production was recorded on carbon supplemented growth medium as compared to nitrogen supplemented growth medium. Therefore, T. harzianum HK produced maximum biomass production on among all isolates of Trichoderma.