Vol. 7, Issue 7, Part A (2025)

Twenty-six Trichoderma isolates were tested for their potentiality in the production of cell wall degrading enzymes and mycoparasitic activity against Rhizoctonia solani, sheath blight of rice. Statistically significant variation was observed in production of lytic enzymes by Trichoderma. In the production of cellulase, eleven Trichoderma isolates showed positive result. Among these, the maximum cellulase production was observed with T. reesei (TR), followed by T. longibrachiatum (M6Ms). Thirteen Trichoderma isolates were positive in amylase enzyme production. In the assay T. longibrachiatum (M9Ms) produced maximum amylase, followed by T. longibrachiatum (M3Ps). In the chitinase assay highest producer was T. longibrachiatum (M1Ps), followed by T. asperellum (M4Ps). Eight isolates of Trichoderma produced protease enzyme viz., T. asperellum (M4Ps), T. aureoviride (TA1),
T. reesei (TR), T. longibrachiatum (TL3, M1Ps, M5Ms, M8Ps), T. virens (TV1). Among this, maximum protease producer was T. aureoviride (TA1) and the least producer was T. longibrachiatum (M5Ms). When the total enzyme activity of cellulase and amylases was compared it clearly showed that only seven isolates of Trichoderma produced both enzymes.
T. asperellum (M3M) and T. reesei (TR) produced all the three enzymes, whereas T. aureoviride (TA3), T. longibrachaitum (TL1, M3P), T. virens (TV1) and T. viride (TD1) did not show any enzyme activity. Four isolates of Trichoderma, belonging to T. harzianum (M10P), T. koningii (TR), T. longibrachiatum (M6Ms) and T. viride (M1M) showed maximum mycoparasitism on R. solani than other 22 isolates which showed moderate and minimum mycoparasitic activity. A positive correlation was observed between mycoparasitic activity against R. solani and production of cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs) by Trichoderma. T. reesei (TR) and T. longibrachaitum (M1Ps) was found to be the best strains to be used as a bio control agent to control rice pathogen R. solani