Work

In Vitro and Field Effectiveness of the Combination of Four Trichoderma spp. Against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Its Impact on Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Crop Production

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: White mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) affects potato production and quality in Sinaloa, Mexico. This study aimed to determine the in vitro efficacy of Trichoderma azevedoi, T. afroharzianum, T. asperellum and T. asperelloides in inhibiting the mycelial growth and sclerotia production of S. sclerotiorum. Field studies were also conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a Trichoderma spp. combination in controlling the disease and reducing sclerotia production, as well as increasing crop yield in semi-commercial plots. In parallel, the alternating use of the antagonist combination with synthetic fungicides was assessed; an additional treatment involved using synthetic fungicides alone. The in vitro tests demonstrated the efficacy of all four Trichoderma species against the pathogen. The Trichoderma combination also significantly controlled white mold under field conditions. The alternating application of Trichoderma species with synthetic fungicides was similarly effective, while the fungicides-alone treatment was less effective than the two aforementioned treatments. The results highlight the potential of using a mixture of these four Trichoderma species to control potato white mold in Sinaloa, which could help reduce the reliance on synthetic fungicides for disease management.

Source: Plants

DOI: 10.3390/plants15010156