Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
(eISSN: 2229-4473)
Efficacy of Trichoderma virens in the management of root rot disease of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) caused by Rhizoctonia solani
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Khan Tanweer A., Fatima Noor, Ansari Safiuddin, Mahmood Irshad, Rizvi Rose
Research Articles | Published: 10 September, 2026
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Keywords: Biocontrol, Chilli, n Trichoderma virensn , n Rhizoctonia solanin , Root rot, Seedling vigor, Sustainable agriculture
Abstract
Root rot caused by Rhizoctonia solani severely limits chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) production, necessitating environmentally compatible alternatives to chemical fungicides. This study evaluated the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma virens against R. solani through in vitro antagonism, seed germination assays, and greenhouse experiments. In dual culture, T. virens inhibited the colony growth of R. solani by 45.73 ± 1.52%. T. virens treatment improved seed germination, combined root and shoot growth, and seedling vigor, with the highest treatment (3.0 g fresh mycelial biomass per 10 mL) recording 86.67% germination and a seedling vigor index of 837.50. Under greenhouse conditions, R. solani reduced plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, capsaicin content, and fruit number, while increasing total phenolic content and root rot severity. Application of T. virens progressively alleviated these effects, with the 3.0 g treatment reducing root rot severity by 51.53% compared with the pathogen-infected control. The findings demonstrate the potential of T. virens as an environmentally compatible biocontrol agent for sustainable management of chilli root rot.
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Author Information
Section of Plant Pathology & Nematology, Department of Botany, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh, India