Abstract

Trichoderma harzianum and T. viride were evaluated for their antagonistic activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, the causal agent of tomato wilt, through dual-culture assays and greenhouse experiments. Both species significantly inhibited the radial growth of the pathogen in vitro, with T. harzianum exhibiting the highest suppression. In greenhouse trials, soil application of conidial suspensions of Trichoderma spp. led to a significant reduction in disease severity and a marked increase in stem fresh weight compared to the infected control. Among the two, T. harzianum demonstrated superior efficacy in promoting plant growth and suppressing wilt symptoms. These findings support the potential of Trichoderma spp. as effective biological control agents for integrated management of Fusarium wilt in tomato cultivation.

Keywords:Biological control; Soil-borne pathogens; Antagonistic fungi; Plant growth promotion