Biological control presents a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides by utilizing living organisms or their byproducts to suppress plant pathogens. This study investigated the efficacy of several native Ethiopian isolates of the fungus Trichoderma for controlling late blight disease, caused by Phytophthora infestans, and for promoting growth in tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under greenhouse conditions. A susceptible tomato cultivar, Moneymaker, was used in a pot experiment designed to test various Trirchoderma isolates, both individually and in combination with the pathogen. Key parameters including disease severity, plant growth metrics (shoot length, root length, fresh and dry biomass), and final fruit yield were meticulously recorded and analyzed. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in late blight severity in plants treated with the isolates Ju-TDc-2, Ju-TGDa-2, and Ju-TGDb-3, with disease indices as low as 8.8% compared to 19.2% in the pathogen-only control. Furthermore, these same isolates consistently enhanced plant growth, with shoot lengths reaching up to 89.67 cm and substantial increases in fresh weight and fruit yield. The study concludes that these specific Trichoderma isolates are highly promising biocontrol agents that effectively mitigate late blight damage while concurrently functioning as plant growth promoters. Their development into commercial bioformulations could offer Ethiopian smallholder farmers a viable, eco-friendly strategy for integrated disease management.
Dol et al. (Mon,) studied this question.