MODIFICATION OF BIOCONTROL POTENTIAL OF TRICHODERMA-VIRIDE

Modification of biocontrol agents can play a great role in improving the biocontrol potential of antagonists. It has been visualised that the next decade will see wide exploitation of genetic engineering and biotechnology in the service of biological control. With this idea the modification of Trichoderma viride was done by a mutagenic chemical N-methyl N'-nitro N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG). NTG was found a promosing agent for induction of mutation in T. viride. At 1500 mug/ml concentration of NTG a mutant (TVW-1) with pure white colonies was obtained. The mutant sporulated heavily and had shown a better biocontrol ability than the parent strain (TVP) when used against the wilt disease of pigeon-pea caused of Fusarium udum.