Salinity Influence upon Activity of Trichoderma harzianum against Botrytis cinerea

Abstract

Three isolates of Botrytis cinerea were isolated from leaves and stems of different tomato varieties taken from four areas in the North-west of Algeria where tomato is mostly grown in greenhouses and high tunnels. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of two salts: NaCl and CaCl2 tolerance of Trichoderma harzianum and to evaluate the impact of salinity on its antagonistic capacities in order to use it as a biological agent controlling Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey mold disease of tomato. In the absence of salt, the volatile and non-volatile secondary metabolites from T. harzianum showed 52, 23-79, 81% inhibition of B. cinerea. In the presence of salt, the inhibition percentages of the mycelial growth of B. cinerea by volatile metabolites were stimulated by the high concentrations of NaCl 94,70 and 90,85% for CaCl2 compared to the control. However, non-volatile compounds from Trichoderma, the percentage of growth inhibition varied between 65.17% and 82, 12% for NaCl and 61.19-85.01 in the presence of CaCl2.