Trichoderma is a genus of soil-dwelling fungi found all over the world that are highly effective at colonizing many kinds of plant roots, and inhibiting fungi that cause many types of diseases. It was one of the first types of biofungicides commercially available.
One strain in particular, T. harzianum T-22, is the result of 15 years of research at Cornell University to create an even more powerful type of Trichoderma.
Strain T-22 will form an intimate association with plant roots and colonize them. This colonization places the fungus in a good location to outcompete and parasitize other fungi in the soil.
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This fungus can inhibit a who’s who of fungal soil-borne pathogens, including Fusarium (wilts), Rhizoctonia (root rot), Sclerotinia (blight), and water molds Pythium and Phytophthora (damping off).
Trichoderma works best on plants that are not thriving. If your plants are already at their peak, you may not see an effect from adding this microbe.
However, if conditions are suboptimal, yield increases have ranged from 10 to 20 percent to as much as 300 percent.
The guide below describes exactly how this fungus improves plant growth, and provides you with tips on how to best use it.
How Trichoderma Interacts with PlantsSo just how does it work? Trichoderma helps to improve plant health in a variety of ways:
Plant Root ColonizationOnce in the soil, this fungus colonizes the roots of plants.
By growing on the roots and in the rhizosphere, it forms a physical barrier to prevent the growth of fungi that would otherwise cause disease on the plant.
Plants frequently produce
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