Substrate and Temperature Requirements for Sporulation of Sub-Tropical Isolates of Trichoderma spp.

Eleven locally available solid organic and inorganic substrates and two liquid media were evaluated at 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40°C and the sporulation levels of the two Trichoderma spp. were estimated at 15 and 30 days incubation. Both the species of Trichoderma were found to have an optimum range of 30–35°C for sporulation. The best solid substrates supporting sporulation for both the species were gobar gas sluny, decomposed FYM, dried cowdung, wheat bran and sorghum grain. These isolates could therefore, be easily mass multiplied at room temperature for the sub-tropical conditions using locally available cheaper substrates. Maintenance of moisture content to 50% in the solid substrates appeared crucial for sporulation.