Trichoderma is a beneficial fungus that helps to protect plants against molds and bacteria. It breaks down both chitin and cellulose and uses them as its food source. Its ability to break down both compounds makes it very adaptable. This species can grow on wood (cellulose) and fungi (chitin).
Trichoderma Viride is the biocontrol agent on soil microenvironment, disease management & root zone growth. It has extreme features of rapid reproduction, effective protection, and long-term antibacterial. It is recognized as biopesticides, biofertilizers, root growth stimulants, and enhancers of plant resistance.
It stands up against plant diseases, protecting the plants from being destroyed. They create a barrier that makes it impossible for harmful bacteria and pathogens to pass through. Trichoderma acts on the plant pathogens through competition for space and nutrients, parasitization, the disintegration of pathogen hyphae by enzymes, and antagonism by Trichoderma Viride. Apart from this, its metabolites also stimulate seed germination, root and plant growth, and early flower formation.
Trichoderma colonizes the root surface or cortex and proliferates best when there are abundant healthy roots. The use of Trichoderma tends to be beneficial as it is reported to reduce fertilizer dose, and pesticide ratio in the crop field, and enhances yield.
They produce mainly two types of enzymes: cellulase and chitinase. Cellulase is an enzyme that breaks down cellulose (the structure of plant cell walls). On the other side, chitinase is an enzyme that breaks down chitin (the structure of fungal cell walls). Chitinase is also what breaks down the hard exoskeleton of insects but as far as studies show, these fungi aren’t an omnivore. They know when to activate which enzyme depending on what root system and soil it is residing within to not cause harm.
Trichoderma surrounds your plant’s roots releasing compounds that trigger their natural defense systems.
