Soil application of different species of Trichoderma for the management of charcoal rot of faba bean caused by Macrophomina phaseolina

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of soil application of Trichoderma harzianum, T. hamatum, T. viride, T. virens, T. atroviride and T. koningii against charcoal rot of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) caused by Macrophomina phaseolina under pot condition. Inoculation with M. phaseolina resulted in a significant decline in the plant growth (18-23%), biomass production (15-25%), and root nodulation (15-20%) over control. Treatments with Trichoderma spp. however reduced root rot severity (36-43%) and subsequently improved the plant growth (7-13%), seed germination (10-15%) and nodulation (20-25%) of infected faba bean plant. T. harzianum and T. hamatum proved to be most efficient biocontrol agents in reducing the disease severity (40-43%), and subsequent improving the plant growth (9-63%) and root nodulation (85 & 90%).