Biocontrol Agent Trichoderma harzianum Strain FA 1132 as An Enhancer of Oil Palm Growth

Agricultural products are mostly and adversely affected by environmental pollution caused by chemical residues of pesticides which are used for plant disease management. Consequently, researchers look for alternative approaches of disease control such as biocontrol agents. The results of this study showed that conidial suspension of the soil borne fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain FA 1132 can control Ganoderma boninense which causes basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm. The conidial suspension treatment was applied by using Trichoderma-incorporated surface mulch. The disease severity index value (DSI) showed that Ganoderma infected the root as early as at week 5, with a DSI value of 8.3%, while physical symptoms appeared in leaf at week 8. However, no disease symptom was observed in T. harzianum strain FA1132 treated plants and it also markedly increased oil palm root and leaf weights