Phosphate solubility and biocontrol activity of Trichoderma harzianum

Biological control of soilborne plant pathogens is a possible alternative to the use of chemical pesticides, which are harmful to the environment. Under greenhouse and field conditions, several isolated strains of the fungus Trichoderma have been found to be effective biocontrol agents of various soilborne plant pathogenic fungi. The use of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) has a considerable synergistic effect on the growth and development of crop plants. In the present study, T. harzianum was isolated from 10 different agro-climatic zones of Karnataka and tested for the potential of antagonistic activity against the plant pathogen Xanthomonas and the ability of phosphate solubility under in vitro conditions. Variations within the 10 isolates of T. harzianum were assayed using the Rapid Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method