In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Control by Trichoderma Asperellum Against Rhizoctonia Solani a Causal Agent of Collar and Root Rot in Strawberries

The use of antagonistic microorganisms such as Trichoderma in agriculture plays an important role in sustainability, production and environmental protection. Direct in vitro confrontation of Trichoderma asperellum with Rhizoctonia solani inhibited the mycelial growth of R. solani at different temperatures, with inhibition percentages varying between 26.79 and 62.37 mm at temperatures of 25 °C and 22 °C respectively in isolates R1 and For. Indirect comparison showed the inhibitory effect of volatile substances, with inhibition percentages varying between 13.51 and 44.85 mm at 25 °C in isolates For and R2. In G1 and R1 isolates, however, they varied from 0.78 to 7.76 mm at 22 °C in the presence of diffusible substances. Trichoderma asperellum Isolates significantly reduced the strawberry plants’ susceptibility to R. solani in vivo. Plants treated with T. asperellum in the form of inoculum produced higher fresh weights for the above-ground (24.63 g) and root (23.96 g) parts, compared with low weights for the controls (13.16 g–15.80 g). Similarly, the perpendicular length and the length of the aerial and root parts showed higher values (17.03 cm–12.33 cm–34.33 cm) than the control, which were low (13.12 cm–10 cm–20.33 cm).