Ability of Trichoderma harzianum in the Formulation with Carbon Fiber and Silica Nano Particles to Control Damping Off (Sclerotium rolfsii) on Soybean Plants

Abstract

Sclerotium rolfsii is one of the soil-borne pathogens that cause damping-off and stem rot on soybean plants. One effort to control damping-off, which is environmentally friendly, is by using biological agents. Antagonistic microorganism that has been studied intensively and has a great potential to control soil-borne diseases is Trichoderma harzianum. The objectives of this research were to comprehend the ability of T. harzianum in a formulation with carbon fiber 80 mesh and silica nanoparticles (NPs.) and to determine the concentration of silica NPs. in the formulation that suppresses the in vitro growth of S. rolfsii and control the damping-off on soybean plants. The experiment was conducted in two phases. The first phase was in vitro experiment, arranged in a completely randomized design with 11 treatments and 3 replications. The second phase was in vivo test by using randomized complete block design, with 11 treatments and 3 replications. The in-vitro test showed that each treatment with T. harzianum in the formulation of silica NPs. and carbon fiber 80 mesh in various concentrations was able to suppress the S. rolfsii growth by 58.76- 80.92%. The treatment of single T. harzianum caused the highest suppression on S. rolfsii up to 80.92%. While the results of the in vivo test showed that the highest percentage of damping-off suppression was on the treatment of T. harzianum only, with 60% suppression.