Antagonistic potential of Trichoderma Spp. against major wilt pathogens of pomegranate under in vitro conditions

Abstract

Pomegranate cultivation in North Gujarat has been severely threatened by wilt diseases, primarily caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata and Fusarium oxysporum. In the present study, an in vitro evaluation of different isolates of Trichoderma spp. was carried out using the dual culture technique to assess their antagonistic potential against the wilt pathogens. Among the five bio-agents tested, Trichoderma viride (Sardarkrushinagar) and T. harzianum (Sardarkrushinagar) exhibited the highest inhibition against C. fimbriata (80.56% and 78.89%) and F. oxysporum (72.59% and 79.07%), respectively. These results demonstrate the superior efficacy of certain native Trichoderma strains in suppressing wilt pathogens and highlight their potential as eco-friendly alternatives for integrated disease management strategies in pomegranate. The findings also stress the need for region-specific biocontrol agent selection for improved field-level effectiveness.