Use of tricho-compost and tricho-leachate for management of soil-borne pathogens and production of healthy cabbage seedlings

Abstract

Tricho-compost, a Trichoderma based compost fertilizer, was developed by mixing a definite concentration of spore suspension of a Trichoderma harzianum strain with measured amounts of processed raw materials, such as cowdung, poultry refuse, water hyacinth, vegetable wastes, sawdust, maize bran, and molasses. Tricho-leachate, a liquid by-product of the Tricho-compost, was obtained during decomposition of Tricho-compost materials. These bioproducts were tested both in the laboratory and in seedbed nurseries to evaluate their effectiveness against soil-borne pathogens for growing cabbage seedlings. Application of Tricho-compost and Tricho-leachate reduced the seedling mortalities of cabbage caused by Sclerotium rolfsii by about 98%. In laboratory tests, Trichoderma harzianum, after re-isolation from Tricho-compost and tricho-leachate, was also found to be highly effective to arrest the growth of S. rolfsii. T. harzianum destroyed the radial growth of S. rolfsii mycelium by 59.7% after five days, and effected total destruction of the mycelium in 10 days. In seedbed nurseries, soil applications of Tricho-compost and Tricho-leachate significantly increased the seedling germination rate and reduced the incidence of soil-borne diseases and infestation of root-knot nematodes. Field experiment showed that combined application of Tricho-compost and Tricho-leachate reduced the seedling mortalities by 40.9% to 64.5% in Gazipur and 53.3% to 62.1% in Bogra. Application of Tricho-leachate at 500 ml per sq. metre increased plant weight by about 55.6%, and reduced the seedling mortality by about 84.0% in Gazipur. Seedbed nurseries treated with Tricho-compost and Tricho-leachate had only Pythium spp as a soil-borne pathogen, whereas the control plot had as many as four soil-borne pathogens -Pythium, Rhizoctonia, Sclerotium and Fusarium spp. Use of richo-compost and Tricho-leachate also reduced the infestation of root-knot nematode by about 80.7% to 91.0%. The results clearly showed that use of Tricho-compost and Tricho-leachate is highly effective for production of healthy cabbage seedlings. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v37i4.14390 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 37(4): 653-664, December 2012

Spraying Agro-Industrial Compost Tea on Baby Spinach Crops: Evaluation of Yield, Plant Quality and Soil Health in Field Experiments

“…It could be due to the secondary metabolites released by T. harzianum that might influence plant growth, mainly through signaling hormone-like compounds, most notably auxins [33]. The positive effect of T. on plant growth is equally remarkable and has been recognized as an ability independent to its antifungal ability [34][35][36], because an increase in growth has been observed in the absence of any detectable diseases and in sterile soil [37].…”

Application of Bio P60 and Bio T10 Alone or in Combination Against Stem Rot of Pakcoy

“…One of the pathogenic fungi that can cause stem rot is Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. (Nahar et al, 2013;Akhtar et al, 2017). Rakholiya (2010) reports that S. rolfsii is a soil-borne pathogen that is difficult to control because it can live for years in the soil in the form of sclerotium and has extensive host range.…”

Application of Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens to Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) Improves Both Its Seedling Quality and Field Performance

“…As per the findings of Marulanda et al [37], these microbial treatments may also help to enhance the levels of IAA growth regulators, which also contribute to improvised seedling growth parameters, including root and shoot fresh weight and leaf area [38]. Further, the infusion of vermicompost with T. harzianum in cabbage greatly enhanced the seedling's establishment rate [39]. In addition, the seedling height of the cabbage plant was significantly improved by incorporating the soil amendments and microbes [40].…”