Microbial Biotechnology
  Environmental Biotechnology
Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol. 12 No. 4, Issue of October 15, 2009
© 2009 by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso -- Chile Received December 2, 2008 / Accepted June 29, 2009
DOI: 10.2225/vol12-issue4-fulltext-12
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Biocontrol capacity of wild and mutant Trichoderma harzianum (Rifai) strains on Rhizoctonia solani 618: effect of temperature and soil type during storage

Jaime Montealegre
Departamento de Sanidad Vegetal
Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas
Universidad de Chile
Casilla 1004, Santiago, Chile

Luis Valderrama
Departamento de Sanidad Vegetal
Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas
Universidad de Chile
Casilla 1004, Santiago, Chile  

Rodrigo Herrera
Departamento de Sanidad Vegetal
Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas
Universidad de Chile
Casilla 1004, Santiago, Chile 

Ximena Besoaín
Laboratorio de Fitopatología
Facultad de Agronomía
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Quilota, Chile

Luz M. Pérez*
Asesorías e Inversiones Biostrategy Limitada
Hernando de Aguirre 1372, Providencia
Santiago, Chile
Tel: 56 2 2743176
E-mail: biostrategy.perez2@gmail.com 

*Corresponding author

Financial support: FONDECYT No. 1040531-04

Keywords: bioantagonism, persistence, root rot, tomato.

Abbreviations:

cfu: colony forming units
PDA: Potato Dextrose Agar

Abstract   Full Text

Wild (Th11, Th12 and Th650) and mutant (Th11A80.1, Th12A40.1, Th12C40.1 and Th650-NG7) Trichoderma harzianum strains were stored for 180 days at 5ºC or at 22ºC, in two types of soils. Strains recovered at 90, 120 and 180 days from the two types of soils, retained their full capacity to biocontrol Rhizoctonia solani 618, that produces crown and root rot of tomatoes. Recovery, estimated as colony forming units (cfu) of the wild and mutant strains, showed that all increased their cfu after storage independently of the type of soil and temperature, although kinetic behavior differed among strains. Ratios of recovery after storage in type B soil/ type A soil or at 22ºC/5ºC, higher or lower than one respectively, allowed to establish that Th11 and Th12 were the most appropriate strains for the biocontrol of R. solani in conditions where growth of the phytopathogen is optimal.

Supported by UNESCO / MIRCEN network