Native Trichoderma species as multifunctional biocontrol agents for soil-borne disease management in groundnut and chickpea
Sustainable agriculture increasingly relies on harnessing the complex, multitrophic network within the soil phytobiome to combat soil-borne pathogens. This study highlights the diversity and functional potential of Trichoderma spp. isolates from rhizospheric soils in the Saurashtra region, Gujarat of 250 soil samples, one hundred distinct Trichoderma isolates were obtained and further screened for their antagonistic efficacy against three major soil-borne fungal pathogens: Sclerotium spp., Fusarium spp. and Macrophomina spp. The In vitro assay found elite strains, particularly Tr79, Tr80 and Tr44, that consistently showed mycelial inhibition of up to 80%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of Tr79 confirmed robust mycoparasitic interactions, including hyphal coiling and mycelial degradation. Molecular characterization using TEF1- α and RPB2 gene sequencing delineated these isolates into three clades: T. harzianum , asperelloides and longibrachiatum . Compatibility testing with 21 agrochemicals showed that isolates Tr79 and Tr80 were most resilient to most herbicides and insecticides, supporting their integration into integrated pest management. Field experiments with groundnut and chickpea showed that a split application of Tr79 enriched with Farmyard Manure (FYM) significantly improved germination and yield, boosting yield threefold compared with the control and reducing disease incidence to 10.15 and 17.63%, respectively. These findings highlight the potential of region-specific Trichoderma strains to enhance crop resilience and productivity through sustainable disease management. These findings are first regional Multilocus characterization from Saurashtra.