Role of indigenous and inoculated Trichoderma spp. in managing soilborne fungal diseases

Posted 11th December 2019 by Joshua Sewell
David Butler is Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee, USA. His research focuses on soil-plant and soil-plant-microbe relationships in horticultural cropping systems. In particular, David is interested in understanding non-chemical and biological soil disinfestation techniques and their mechanisms of pathogen control, the effect of alternative soil disinfestation practices on soil fertility and crop nutrition, and the how the nutrient cycle dynamics of annual and perennial cover crops can alter to improve crop nutrition.
It was a pleasure to welcome him to the 4th Partnerships in Biocontrol, Biostimulants and Microbiome Congress in November. We have made his presentation slides on the role of indigenous and inoculated Trichoderma spp. in managing soilborne fungal diseases available to view online below.
Trichoderma is a versatile fungal organism known to function in both disease control and plant growth promotion. Anaerobic/biological soil disinfestation (ASD) is a non-chemical technique practised to improve crop health and suppress pathogens in high-value production systems as an alternative to soil fumigation.
Previous work in David’s lab has shown that ASD enhances mycoparasitism by Trichoderma of fungal structures such as sclerotia of S. rolfsii. They have also evaluated indigenous Trichoderma spp. isolated from ASD-treated soils, and commercially-available Trichoderma, to evaluate impacts on pathogen inoculum and plant growth promotion when used as inoculants.
This talk explores the ways in which Trichoderma and other microbial inoculants may be used as part of integrated management strategies for non-chemical control of soilborne fungal pathogens in high- value crop production systems.
Role of indigenous and inoculated Trichoderma spp. in managing soilborne fungal diseases in non-fumigated, high-value crop production
![]() |
Keep up to date with the latest genomic research on key crop plants including wheat, barley and potato at the 8th Plant Genomics and Gene Editing Congress: Europe. Register online here.
Leave a Reply