Interaction efficiency of Trichoderma spp. and some plant extracts against ear-cockle disease

Abstract

Ear-cockle disease is one of the ‎important aerial diseases of wheat. It is caused by wheat seed gall nematode Anguina tritici. This study aimed to evaluate the interaction effect between Trichoderma spp. as bioagents and some plant extracts. The latter are used as alternative substances to ‎control the seed gall nematode in both laboratory and field conditions. The bioassay of juveniles in the second stage (J2) of A. tritici was‎ conducted using the biopesticide Biocont-T-WP (Trichoderma ‎harzianum), isolate of Trichoderma hamatum T-113, and ‎nematic and seaweed extract for their effect on the viability of A. tritici J2. nematicide Rugby 100 has been used as a positive control.‎ The lab-bioassay was achieved on the daily accumulated J2 mortality percentage during ‎‎1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 days of incubation, while the field-bioassay was evaluated for‎ wheat growth, yield, and infection attributes.‎ The lab-bioassay showed that ‎Biocont-T has a higher mortality effect followed by the nematic extract with averages of 40.56% and ‎‎12.52%, respectively. The accumulative J2 mortality percentage increased gradually and reached a maximum on the 11th day of incubation. ‎In the field-bioassay, mixing wheat ‎seed Ibaa-99 with Biocont-T decreased infection percentage 77.7% and the number of galls spike–1 to 1.63 compared to the control 5.66 galls spike–1.