Tomato root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani is a major soilborne disease resulting in significant yield loss. The culture filtrates of six isolates of Trichoderma/Hypocrea species were evaluated for in vitro production of hydrolytic enzymes. Results demonstrated that all the six isolates were able to produce chitinase, β-1, 3 glucanase and protease in the range of 76-235 μmol GlcNAc min -1 mg -1 protein, 31.90-37.72 nmol glucose min -1 mg -1 proteins and 63.05-86.22 μmol min -1 mg -1 proteins, respectively. Trichoderma/Hypocrea-based formulation(s) were prepared with chitin (1% v:v) and CMC (0.5% w:v) for root rot management in a greenhouse. Root dip application with bioformulation(s) resulted in a significant reduction of the root rot index. In addition, bioformulations increased plant growth attributing traits significantly relative to untreated control. Accumulation of total phenols, peroxidase, polyphenoloxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase increased in chitin-supplemented Trichoderma/Hypocrea formulation-treated plants challenged with R. solani. The results suggest that chitin-fortified bioformulation(s) could be an effective system to control root rot of tomato in an eco-compatible manner.

The indigenous fungal flora of three oil refinery contaminated sites (Bharuch, Valsad and Vadodara) of India has been documented in the present investigation. A total seventy-five fungal morphotypes were isolated from these sites and out of them, only fifteen isolates were capable of utilizing ethanol (0-8%; v:v) as a sole source of carbon and energy for growth. Ten percent ethanol was completely lethal for the growth of all the isolated fungus. Biochemical characterization of the potent ethanol utilizing fungal isolates was studied based on substrate utilization profiles using BIOLOG phenotype microarray plates. Based on the morphological characters and Internal Transcribed Spacer region of ribosomal DNA, the fungal isolates were identified as Fusarium brachygibbosum, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium acuminatum, Pencillium citrinum, Alternaria tenuissima, Septogloeum mori, Hypocrea lixii, Aureobasidium sp., Penicillium sp., and Fusarium sp. Intra-species genetic diversity among Fusarium sp. was evaluated by whole genome analysis with repetitive DNA sequences (ERIC, REP and BOX) based DNA fingerprinting. It was found that these fungus use alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes based metabolism pathway to utilize ethanol for their growth and colonization.

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