Fungus can control disease

Pestered by the clubroot disease attacking your crucifer plants?

Use a fungus called Trichoderma koninggi in controlling this disease that usually damages crucifer (a family of plants that include cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, mustard, and others).

Attesting to this is a study titled “Trichoderma-based Management of Clubroot Disease of Crucifer” conducted by researchers Teresita Mangili, Trenesie Lorezco, and Rhonda Oloan of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry-Baguio National Crop Research and Development Center (DA-BPI-BNCRDC) in Baguio City.

A scientific report showing the results of the study won the Best R&D Paper Award (Applied Research-Agriculture category) given during the 2008 National Research Symposium (NRS) sponsored by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).

NRS is an annual competition sponsored by DA-BAR headed by Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar that gives due recognition to outstanding researchers and their scientific works. Participants are mainly researchers of DA bureaus and attached agencies and state colleges and universities.

The study was conducted at the BPI in Baguio City and in the Benguet towns of Buguias and Bakun.

It evaluated the best substrate (the base on which an organism lives) for the growth of Trichoderma koningii strain and identified the best application method of T. koningii for the control of clubroot disease of crucifers.

“The application of Trichoderma koningii strain as biological control cultured in rice hull substrate significantly suppressed clubroot disease severity of cabbage by 72.20 percent,” the DA-BPI-BNCRDC researchers reported.

This was applied as basal three weeks before planting with rate of one tablespoon per planting hole.

In terms of yield, the application of T. koningii applied as basal produced heavier weights of cabbage of 25.33 tons per hectare but was significantly comparable when applied as drenched with weights of 19.03 t/ha.

On-farm trials conducted in severely clubroot-infested farms in barangays Loo (cabbage) and Bad-ayan (Chinese cabbage) applied with T. koningii strain cultured in rice hull substrate significantly suppressed the clubroot disease severity by 54 to 56 percent, the researchers noted.

The same treatment raised the soil ph (expression of acidity and alkalinity) from acidic to moderately acidic and produced heavier weights of cabbage and Chinese cabbage heads, they concluded. — Rudy A. Fernandez