Identification of Trichoderma Strains Isolated from Copper Mining Locations of Uttarakhand Using BiOLOG Microstation System

Twenty one Trichoderma stains ((20 isolates of TCMS series viz., TCMS-2, TCMS-4, TCMS-5, TCMS-12, TCMS-14a, TCMS-14b, TCMS-15, TCMS-16, TCMS-24, TCMS-32, TCMS-34, TCMS-36, TCMS-43, TCMS-60, TCMS- 62, TCMS-64, TCMS-65, TCMS-72, TCMS-85 and TCMS-93 were isolated and purified from the rhizosphere soil samples collected from different copper mining sites of Uttarakhand hills and one isolate of SBIT series i.e., SBIT-32 was collected from the Sri Biotech limited) were characterized/identified using BioLOG Microsystem Version 4.2. Cultures were incubated for 72 hours in the BioLOG Microsystem plates and the incubated plates were analyzed using Bio-Log Microsystem Version 4.2 for species identification. The BioLOG Microsystem determine the Trichoderma species based on various carbon source (substrate) utilization patterns among the 95 BioLOG substrates. Of these, ten isolates (TCMS-4, 12, 14a 15, 32, 34, 43, 72, 85 and 93) were identified as T. viride, five (TCMS 16, 24, 36, 60 and 65) were T. harzianum, three (TCMS 5, 14b and SBIT) were T. koningii and three isolates (TCMS 2, 62 and 64) belonged to Hypocrea lixii. The identified Trichoderma species may be further screened for their antagonistic potential and successfully used for the sustainable management of crop diseases in the organic cultivation system or in the integrated disease management strategies.