Abstract
Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died) Drechs. (anamorph= Drechslera tritici-repentis (Died) Shoem. is one of the most important and widespread necrotrophic pathogen of wheat in Argentina. Breeding, chemical treatments and appropriate cultural practices are the main ways for disease control. The possibility of biological control is added as a complementary strategy within the integrated management of the disease. Trichoderma spp. have been used as biocontrol agents to protect plants against soil-borne and foliar diseases in several crops. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the potential of Trichoderma harzianum (isolate Th15, Th11, Th2, Th81, Th7, Th13, Th8, Th5), Trichoderma aureoviride (isolate Ta1, Ta100) and Trichoderma koningii (isolate Tk11, Tk6) as biocontrol agents of D. tritici-repentis under in vitro and greenhouse conditions. Dual cultures in Petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar showed that the isolates of Trichoderma spp. tested inhibited significantly the mycelial growth of D. tritici-repentis between 50% and 74%. Microscopic examination of cultures of Trichoderma spp. and D. tritici-repentis in close proximity showed plasmolysis of conidia and hyphae of the pathogen. The results of the greenhouse tests in 2000 and 2001 indicated that seven strains of Trichoderma spp. (Th5, Th11, Th13, Tk6, Tk1, Th2 and Th81) significantly reduced the disease severity on wheat plants compared with untreated plants. In general, there was a significant decrease in Trichoderma spp. population on the wheat phylloplane with time. Additional greenhouse studies using other isolates and under a wide range of temperature conditions are needed to fully assess the potential and limitations of Trichoderma spp. as biocontrol agents of D. tritici-repentis.
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