Pranab Dutta

By Amar Bahadur and Pranab Dutta

Trichoderma species, a cosmopolitan fungi, present in all types of soil, manure, and decaying plant tissues that can degrade domestic waste relatively quickly without emitting bad odors. Trichoderma is recognized worldwide as potential fungal bio-control agents for the management of various foliar and soil-borne plant pathogens, highly compatible with sustainable agriculture and play major role as a component of integrated pest management. Bio-control agents are an antagonism and eco-friendly approach for managing plant diseases. Trichoderma as bioagent area effective not only against soil-borne plant pathogens, but also against nematodes without any adverse effect on beneficial microbes. Trichoderma is capable of growth promotions in crops. There are two major mass production methods of Trichoderma spp. viz., solid state fermentation and liquid state fermentation. In solid, fungus is grown on various cereal grains, agricultural wastes, and byproducts, and these products are used mainly for direct soil application to suppress the soil-borne inoculums. In a liquid state, Trichoderma is grown on media such as molasses and yeast in deep tanks and fermentation can be made into different formulations such as dusts, granules, pellets, wettable powders. As seed-treating agents or bio-priming agents, Trichoderma formulations can be successfully used against several soil-borne diseases caused by Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium and Sclerotium, spp. in several crops.

Part of the book: Trichoderma

By Pranab Dutta, Arti Kumari and Madhusmita Mahanta

Chitosan is a naturally occurring biopolymer having multifaceted applications in agriculture, medicine, food industry, and cosmetics. The association of this natural biopolymer with nanotechnology can produce revolutionary effects in plant protection and agriculture. Nano-chitosan can be fabricated using various methods. However, the green synthesis approach has gained attention in recent years. The green engineered nanoparticles are economical, energetically feasible, and environmentally benign. The biosynthesized nano-chitosan has evolved as a potential plant protection agent. Chitosan nanoparticles possess antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, and are found to be effective against seed-borne and soil-borne pathogens. Nano-chitosan also behaves as an effector molecule and induces local and systemic defense responses in plants. The mode of action of nano-chitosan involves alterations in membrane permeability, replication, cytoplasmic alterations, induction of defense-related genes, and cell lysis. Furthermore, chitosan nanoparticles can be used for soil improvement and can reduce pest and pathogen attacks, thereby promoting the growth of plants. The authors outline the methods of synthesis and characterization of chitosan nanoparticles, their utilization in plant protection and growth promotion, along with the underlying mechanisms.

Part of the book: Chitin and Chitosan

By Pranjal Kr. Kaman, Daisy Senapoty, Vithanala Shiva Sai Swaroop, Hiranya Kr. Deva Nath, Apurba Das, Pranab Dutta and Amar Bahadur

Among the many plant diseases, those brought on by soil-borne pathogens are the ones that result in significant losses. Rhizoctonia solani, one of many soil-borne pathogens, has been identified as a potential culprit for yield loss due to its broad host range. Prior to the development of extremely potent and selective fungicides, chemical treatment is not a practical option. However, the dangers associated with agrochemicals are reducing their use. Scientists are becoming more interested in biological management in this situation because it is an environmentally beneficial method. Biological control is the process through which one organism controls another. Trichoderma has become one of the most important biocontrol agents currently available due to its extensive antagonistic pathways. There are 89 species in this genus, and numerous strains have been discovered to be powerful biocontrol agents for plant diseases. The species T. viride, T. hamantum, T. koningii, and others make up the majority of the Trichoderma biocontrol agents. Direct and indirect antagonistic mechanisms are the two categories. Mycoparasitism, antibiosis, and pathogen enzyme inactivation are examples of direct methods. Indirect mechanisms include competition for nutrients and space, the activation of plant defensive systems (such as induced systemic resistance), and others. Their antagonistic characteristics are affected by a number of variables, including pH and temperature.

Part of the book: Challenges in Plant Disease Detection and Recent Advancements