Morpho Cultural and Biochemical Characterization of Different Isolates of Trichoderma species Isolated from Rhizospheric Soil of Cotton in Haryana

Abstract Trichoderma biocontrol agents are proven to be effective agents against soil-borne diseases. Trichoderma species are vital for root growth and development, crop yield, resistance to abiotic stress, and nutrient uptake and utilisation in addition to preventing the spread of illnesses caused by soil-borne pathogens. Cell wall degrading enzymes, or CWDEs, are essential to mycoparasitic action because they hydrolyze pathogen cell walls, releasing the organism's contents in the process. The antifungal action of Trichoderma includes a great variety of lytic enzymes such as chitinase, proteases, cellulases, IAA production, siderophore production, Zn solubilisation and phosphate solubilisation etc. which play a key role in bicontrol activity of Trichoderma. Cultural and morphological studies of different isolates of Trichoderma were also studied and observed that maximum mycelial growth (53.67) was recorded by HST2, Whereas, least (36.33mm) was showed by HMT2 after 6 DAI. The colony colour of all the isolates varied from dark green, whitish green to light green. The reverse colony colour of native Trichoderma isolates varied from creamish white, colourless and colourless to yellowish and the edge of colony varied from wavy to smooth. The length of conidia varied from 2.69 to 4.66 µm. The longest conidium was observed in HFtT with a conidial length of 4.66 µm. Width of conidia of different isolates varied from 2.31 to 3.65 µm. The maximum width was observed in case of HFtT (3.65 µm).