Ecophysiological requirements and survival of a Trichoderma atroviride isolate with biocontrol potential

Trichoderma atroviride SC1, isolated from decayed hazelnut wood in northern Italy in 2000, is a promising fungal agent for biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens. The objective of this research was to characterize the biology and ecology of this fungus, in order to determine its environmental parameter tolerance levels and its behavior in the phylloplane and soil systems. To better characterize T. atroviride SC1, the influences of pH, temperature, water activity and different nitrogen and carbon sources on its in vitro growth were evaluated. T. atroviride SC1 survival was assessed on strawberry leaves under controlled conditions in a greenhouse and in sterilized and non-sterilized soil samples kept at room temperature. Results showed that isolate SC1 is mesophilic and grows best at 25 degrees C. The fungus tolerates a wide range of pH levels, but growth was reduced on alkaline media (pH >or= 8). The nitrogen and carbon sources peptone, tryptone, nitrate, mannose, galactose and sucrose were associated with the highest mycelial biomass production, as compared with other potential sources of nitrogen and carbon. The fungus survived on strawberry leaves under greenhouse conditions (25 +/- 2 degrees C, RH = 60 +/- 10%) and grew in sterilized soils at room temperature (23 +/- 2 degrees C) for 45 d. However, no increase in mycelial dry weight was observed in non-sterilized soils. T. atroviride SC1 survived under the test conditions, showing a good potential for use in soil and foliar biocontrol applications.