DUAL CULTURE APPROACH FOR THE EVALUATION OF ANTAGONISTIC ACTIVITY OF NATIVE TRICHODERMA ISOLATES AGAINST BIPOLARIS SOROKINIANA

Spot blotch disease caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) shoem. is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in plain areas of Nepal. A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the antagonistic activity of seven test Trichoderma isolates obtained from the soil sample by employing dual culture method against spot blotch pathogen of wheat Bipolaris sorokiniana at Plant Pathology Division, Nepal Agriculture Research Council, Khumaltar, Nepal. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The result revealed that all Trichoderma isolates showed control over the pathogen. Isolate T517 stands out to be the most effective one giving 67.81% mycelial growth inhibition but isolate T528 was the least effective. Native Trichoderma can have significant biocontrol potential and may provide an effective solution against plant fungal diseases.