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Archives (2001)
Dump that damping-off diseases
by Mary Charlotte O. Fresco |
April-June
2001
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Best agricultural produce are often derived
from good production inputs which include high quality and
disease-free planting materials.
But the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides
to minimize disease infestation especially during seed germination
stage remains to be a formidable challenge for our local farmers
today. To address this long-standing problem, a study on the
use of Trichoderma as a control agent of damping-off
disease in vegetables was conducted by a research group headed
by Dr. Virginia C. Cuevas at UP Los Baños. The project,
which was supported by the Bureau of Agricultural Research
(BAR), determined the efficacy of Trichoderma as a
biological control agent against the pre-emergent and post-emergent
damping off diseases in lowland vegetables. The damping-off
diseases, usually caused by fungal pathogens under moist or
damp conditions, are fatal to seedlings.
Results of the study revealed that Trichoderma,
when applied to pechay and tomato, effectively controlled
the three identified damping-off diseases namely: Pythium,
Sclerotium, and Rhizoctona. Application of Trichoderma
showed comparative advantages over the use of chemical fungicide
Dithane in terms of effectiveness, 155 % and 67 %, respectively.
It was also noted that the percentage of seed germination
in Trichoderma-treated plots was higher (82%) compared
to those plots treated with chemical fungicide (76%). As to
the growth enhancement property of Trichoderma on pechay
and tomato seedlings, these were taller and heavier compared
to control and chemically-treated seedlings.
In terms of economics, farmers can save more
with the use of Trichoderma. Rough estimate of application
cost showed that farmers spend P4.00/m2 using Trichoderma
pellets and P6.00/m2 using Dithane. As for the frequency of
application, Trichoderma pellets are applied only once
per season while Dithane requires repeated foliar spraying
every 7-10 days after the first drench application. Trichoderma
is a known worldwide fungus with high antagonistic properties
against fungal pathogens and wide range of soil-borne and
airborne pathogenic diseases. Scientists confirmed that species
of Trichoderma has desirable inherent characteristics
over other soil microorganisms since they grow very fast.
They have the ability to produce polysaccharide (complex carbohydrate
or sugar)-degrading enzymes that enable them to colonize substrate
that are also utilized by pathogens during their survival
phase.
Several studies conducted in different countries
have proven the effectiveness of Trichoderma in attacking
the hyphae or larvae of the pathogenic fungus. According to
Dr. Cuevas, the success of Trichoderma products in
the market attests that there is solid basis for its use as
biological control agent. 
(For more information, please contact: Dr. Virginia C.
Cuevas, Dr. Alfredo M. Sinohin, and Mr. Joey I. Orajay, Department
of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, UPLB.)
More Articles:
Vol. 3 No. 2
April-June 2001
»»
CERDAF approves five addt'l national programs
»» IPB recommends
organic farming for vegetables
»» The
growing Philippine vegetable industry: obstacles and opportunities
»» Growing
vegetables without soil
»» MMSU
recommends off season tomato hybrids
»» Halamanan
sa BPI: Farming the City
»» Dump
that damping-off diseases
»» Grafting
effective in producing off- season tomato
»» 'It's
time you put some spice into your life'
»» A
Commodity Feature Cultivating the Aromatic Garlic
»»
Vegetable gardening at the rooftop?
»» National
Integrated RDE Agenda and Program for Vegetable
»» DA
launches AFP livelihood program
»» The
Gulayan at Bulaklakan Project: creating greener pastures for urban dwellers
[More
2001 Articles]
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