Evaluation of Different Substrate for Mass Multiplication of Trichoderma spp.

Trichoderma viride and T. atroviride are two most widely used bio-control agents. They are applied to soil, foliage or roots. In spite of their high efficacy under controlled condition, their performance at farmers field is not consistent. Unlike chemicals these bio-control agents need support even after their application to get established in targeted niche. Present study was undertaken to achieve major issue involved in mass production and utilization of bio-control agent by selection of effective strains for mass multiplication and its formulation. Which deals with use of cow dung, neem cake, wheat straw, sorghum grains, rice bran and spent compost of mushroom either alone or in certain combinations, with or without additives such as jaggery and wheat flour and having differential moisture levels were evaluated as substrates for mass production of T. viride and T. atroviride. Jaggery and wheat flour served as nutritional supplements, which enhanced the conidial yield. An increase in the number of viable propagules up to 30 days was noted regardless of the substrates and its moisture levels. Although highest initial population of Trichoderm a viride was observed in sorghum grains (132 x 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹), propagule viability was low in spent compost of mushroom (11.9 x 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹) that compared to other substrates. Neem cake + wheat flour mixture at 35% moisture also gave longer shelf life(114.3 x 10⁷ cfu g⁻¹) for Trichoderma progagules.