Journal of Applied Horticulture. 2005: 7(1): 38-42

Prospects for the bio-management of Trichoderma viride - an organism harmful to button mushroom

Mishra, S K; Singh, R P

Department of Plant Pathology, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263 145, India.

Botanical biocides in forms of water, methanol and glycerol diluted plant extracts (WDPEs, MDPEs and GDPEs, respectively) of 27 botanicals, 10 fluorescent pseudomonad isolates (FPIs) and an actinomycete isolate (AI), were evaluated in vitro against Trichoderma viride and Agaricus bisporus. Among these, the water diluted extract (5%) of Lantana camara (WDELc) reduced the radial growth of T. viride by 28.57% along with a 38.61% growth promotion of A. bisporus. However, glycerol diluted extract (1%) of Cleome viscosa (GDECv) inhibited the growth of T. viride and A. bisporus completely. In the case of bacterial biocides, fluorescent pseudomonad isolate II (FPI-II) was effective and reduced the linear growth of T. viride by approximately 73.68% and enhanced the growth of A. bisporus by 27.59%. An actinomycete isolate showed antagonistic effect against T. viride and A. bisporus as it reduced the growth of both the fungi by approximately 7.10 and 20%, respectively. Under crop conditions, the combination of FPI-II + AI and FPI-II alone resulted in highest yield of 13.23 and 16.62 kg compost/q in the first and second crop, respectively, compared to 9.34 and 9.97 kg from their corresponding controls. These treatments were also found effective in reducing preemergence disease incidence in I and II crops (1.71 and 3.09%, respectively). However, postemergence disease was maintained (2%) with WDELc, WDELc + FPI-II + AI and AI.