Trichoderma as a Biocontrol Agent*

This chapter discusses the dealing with Trichoderma as a biocontrol agent for plant pathogens by mycoparasitism, antibiosis, and competition, and a section on biocontrol strategies. Citation of review papers and textbooks will be kept to a minimum and used only to reinforce a point under consideration. In a number of instances numerous other publications could have been cited to make the same point as appears in the manuscript, but it is my feeling that too many citations may only obscure the principals being presented. A considerable number of references have indicated that Trichoderma attacks and destroys sclerotia, but there has been a lack of detail on the histology of parasitism. The production of antibiotics by Trichoderma is not highly correlated with mycoparasitism, therefore other systems of antibiosis are involved. Enzymes are important factors facilitating the ability of Trichoderma to compete for substrate as well as to directly attack a wide array of plant pathogens.