ACTIVITY OF TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM RIFAI ON THE GERMINATION OF ASPARAGUS SEEDS: I - SEED TREATMENTS

The "T 581" strain, isolated from the soil and grown on potato dextrose agar medium (PDA) for seven days, was employed in three concentrations (10⁵, 10⁶ and 10⁷ spores/ml).

The following methods were evaluated for each concentration:

1. Seed coating using talcum and sodium alginate as dispersant and thickening agent for the conidial suspension, respectively;
2. Seed coating and encapsulation of biocontrol agent using talcum and alginate with the addition of a food-base compound (chitin) in case (a) and without such addition in case (b). After this, encapsulation of Trichoderma was obtained by dropping the coated seeds into a 0.1 M calcium gluconate solution.

The parameters obtained in the trials conducted on the "UC 157 LT 869–470–2" asparagus variety were germination percentage and amount of dry matter produced by seedlings.

The results are then discussed.

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