Abstract
Trichoderma harzianum is a biological control agent used against phytopathogens and biostimulation in agriculture. However, its efficacy can be affected by biotic and abiotic factors, and microencapsulation has been used to maximize the efficacy. The objective was to develop polymeric microparticles to encapsulate T. harzianum, to perform physicochemical characterization to evaluate its stability, to evaluate effects on the soil microbiota, antifungal activity in vitro and enzymatic activity. Size distribution of wet and dry microparticles was 2000 and 800 μm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy showed spherical morphology and encapsulation of T. harzianum. Photostability assays showed that encapsulation protected the fungus against ultraviolet radiation. The evaluation of the microbiota showed that the proportion of denitrifying bacteria increased when compared to the control. The T. harzianum encapsulation showed an improvement in the chitinolytic and cellulosic activity. In vitro tests showed that encapsulated fungus were able to provide a greater control of S. sclerotiorum.
Highlights
For many years, the control of pests and diseases in agriculture has been achieved using synthetic chemicals
We have described the method of preparation of T. harzianum containing microparticles and their characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)
The results of this study have shown that calcium alginate microparticles are effective in protecting T. harzianum against ultraviolet radiation and potentially other abiotic factors in the environment
Summary
The control of pests and diseases in agriculture has been achieved using synthetic chemicals. This has led to a number of problems for human health, environmental contamination, biodiversity decrease, and pathogen resistance (Zhu et al, 2018). It is desirable to use other safer means of controlling pests and diseases that do not cause adverse effects on human health and the environment. Trichoderma harzianum is a strong candidate among the various biological control agents. This saprophytic fungus is found worldwide, mainly in the soil (Schuster and Schmoll, 2010)
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