ISSN 2360-7971
Abstract
Accepted 28th November, 2014
Studies on the potential of Trichoderma .(ghanense, longibrachiatum and asperellum )as biological control agents of rice blast (Magnaporthe grisea) pathogen populations were undertaken in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria during 2009 wet season. Widely cultivated susceptible (cisadine and wita4) rice were used for this study. The influence of rainfall, wind speed, temperature, evaporation, radiation and relative humidity on the interaction between Trichoderma spp. and blast fungal disease were also measured. Treatments, Experimental design, data collected at lowest concentration of 20ml each crude of T. spps/250ml, the inhibition of blast fungi was significant on the field, the results of all these experiments showed that each of the Trichoderma species is a potential biological control agent of rice blast. However, the best result was obtained when sprayed before blast infection (that is, applied 21 days after planting) and at the initial stages of blast manifestation.
Keywords: Trichoderma spp. blast, abiotic factors, biological control agent