1Division of Agricultural Chemicals, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
2Regional Research Station (Terai Zone), Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, 736165, India
3ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata, 700120, India
4Division of Plant Pathology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India
5Division of Design of Experiments, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi110012, India
*Corresponding author E-mail: anupamanil2000@gmail.com
Online published on 15 October, 2020.
Novel wet and dry formulations of Trichoderma harzianum are reported. These were prepared by entrapment of spores and/or mycelia into the swollen matrices of hydrogel, or by physical mixing with xerogel containing zinc sulphate (ZnSO4). T. harzianum exhibited significantly high survival in presence of pure ZnSO4 up to a concentration of 150 ppm, beyond which gradual decline in viability occurred. Both the wet and dry compositions exhibited excellent shelf life, with the viability of T. harzianum up to180 d without any sign of toxicity due to the hydrogel carrier per se or with the impregnated ZnSO4. The combination of T. harzianum + ZnSO4 exhibited higher bio-activity than T. Harzianum or ZnSO4 alone against the soil borne fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia solani.
Formulation, Trichoderma harzianum, Biopolymeric hydrogel, ZnSO4, Shelf life, Rhizoctonia solani
