Effect of Trichoderma species on Growth, Yield and Quality of Sugarcane

Growth stimulatory effects of Trichoderma spp. have been reported in several herbaceous crops. Isolates of Trichoderma harzianum and T viride were tested for growth, yield and quality of two varieties of sugarcane viz. CoSe 01235 and CoS 99259. Three budded setts of the test varieties were soaked for 30 min in spore suspensions of Trichoderma harzianum and T viride containing 10⁶ spores/ml before planting. The results revealed significant increase in yield characteristics after treatment with spore suspensions of T harzianum and T viride in both the experimental varieties. In variety CoSe 01235, the germination % increased from 24.1 (control) to 31.2 and 27.5 after treatment with spore suspension of T harzianum and T viride, respectively. The NMC per clump increased from 3.7 (control) to 5.2 and 5.1 and stalk weight (kg) from 0.89 to 1.24 and 1.12 in crops treated with spore suspension of T harzianum and T viride, respectively. Consequently, significant increase in cane yield was recorded in T harzianum (62.6 t/ha) and T viride (60.2 t/ha) treated crops as compared to control (59.2 t/ha). T harzianum was found more effective than T viride in enhancing various yield parameters but the results were statistically at par. Pol % in juice, purity % and CCS% were nonsignificantly higher in treated crops than their respective control. Almost similar trend was observed in case of sugarcane variety CoS 99259. An increase in various yield parameters and cane yield was possibly due to the growth promoting effect ofmetabolites secreted by the test fungi that developed during the crop growth due to sett treatment.