Compatibility of indigenous Trichoderma asperellum with chemical fungicides for the management of chickpea wilt

Trichoderma asperellum is an antagonistic fungus, which has the ability to inhibit the growth of pathogens in target environment. The study on compatibility of T. asperellum with fungicide molecules was carried out to know its compatibility with different classes of fungicide molecules during the studies on antagonistic potential of Trichoderma sp. against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris causing chickpea wilt. In the present study, each of six popular systemic, non-systemic and combi-fungicide molecules were used to study the compatibility with bioagent Trichoderma asperellum. The fungicides were used at three different concentrations, i.e., systemic fungicides at 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 per cent and non-systemic and combi fungicides at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 per cent concentrations by using poisoned food technique. Among six systemic fungicides, only azoxystrobin was highly compatible, whereas other systemic fungicides were incompatible showing 100 per cent inhibition of T. asperellum. Among six non-systemic fungicides, propineb, copper oxychloride and copper hydroxide were compatible at all three concentrations tested. However, mancozeb was compatible at lower concentrations but incompatible at higher (0.3%) concentrations. Further, thiram and captan were highly incompatible. Among six combi fungicides, copper oxychloride + copper hydroxide and cymoxanil + mancozeb were compatible with T. asperellum.