ABSTRACT
Trichoderma spp. are the most frequently isolated soil fungi and present in plant root systems. These fungi are opportunistic, avirulent plant symbionts (Harman et al., 2004) and function as parasites and antagonists of many plant pathogenic fungi. Trichoderma spp. are among the most-studied fungal biocontrol agents and commercially marketed as biopesticides, biofertilizers, and soil amendments (Harman et al., 2004; Lorito et al., 2004). Trichoderma, a lamentous soil-inhabiting mycoparasite, has been used in commercial preparation for biological control of many fungal-induced plant diseases (Bhagat and Pan, 2007, 2010; Bhagat et al., 2013). Trichoderma has multifaceted function in agriculture, and it can work in several ways: (1) colonization by establishing themselves within diverse microbial communities in the rhizosphere, (2) control of pathogenic and competitive/ deleterious microora by using a variety of mechanisms (antimicrobial compounds), (3) improvement of the crop health, and (4) stimulation of root growth (Harman et al., 2004; Vinale et al., 2008; Bhagat and Pan, 2010; Bhagat et al., 2013).
