Trichoderma in modern agriculture: a natural ally for plant growth, stress tolerance and reduction of chemical dependency

Trichoderma is a versatile fungus that can established a symbiotic relationship with plants. As global agricultural practices face challenges from chemical pesticide resistance and environmental degradation, Trichoderma offers a promising alternative for integrated pest management (IPM). By facilitating improved nutrient absorption, inducing systemic resistance against pathogens, promoting plant growth, and mitigating the effects of abiotic stress, Trichoderma species are important plant-associated fungi with significant potential in sustainable agriculture. Recent studies using genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic approaches have expanded understanding of the molecular basis of these effects, but practical field application is still limited by formulation instability and environmental sensitivity. New advances in genome editing and nanotechnology offer promising strategies to improve metabolite production, persistence, and delivery. However, the practical deployment of these approaches remains constrained by formulation stability, field scalability, regulatory approval, and variable performance under diverse environmental conditions. This review synthesizes recent Trichoderma research to highlight its ecological dynamics, agricultural applications, and future directions for reducing agrochemical dependency and advancing sustainable and resilient cropping systems.