Eco-friendly management of sugarcane red rot using Trichoderma species in a changing climate

Ahmad Nawaz, Muhammad Atiq, Shahbaz Talib Sahi, Muhammad Ahsan Khan

Abstract


Red rot of sugarcane, caused by Colletotrichum falcatum, is one of the most destructive diseases limiting cane productivity worldwide. This study evaluated the potential of antagonistic agents to suppress the pathogen under in vitro, greenhouse, and field conditions. The dual culture technique was employed to assess the antagonistic activity of Trichoderma species in the laboratory and greenhouse using a completely randomized design, while field experiments were conducted under a randomized complete block design. Disease incidence was recorded at regular intervals, and the data were statistically analyzed to compare treatment efficacy. Among the antagonistic agents, Trichoderma harzianum exhibited the highest mycelial growth inhibition (16.45 mm), followed by T. viride, T. atroviride, T. virens, and T. longibrachiatum (22.37, 26.55, 30.28, and 37.26 mm, respectively), relative to the untreated control. In greenhouse and field trials, the combined application of T. harzianum + T. viride resulted in the lowest disease incidence (18.45% and 19.45%, respectively), outperforming T. harzianum (24.36% and 25.45%) and T. viride (28.38% and 29.43%) when compared with the control. These findings demonstrate that integrating effective antagonistic agents provides an eco-friendly and sustainable strategy for managing red rot, reducing dependence on chemical fungicides, and improving sugarcane health and yield stability.


Keywords


Sugarcane red rot, Colletotrichum falcatum, Antagonistic agents, Trichoderma biocontrol, Sustainable disease management

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.33804/pp.009.04.5852

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