MODIFICATION OF BIOCONTROL POTENTIAL OF TRICHODERMA-VIRIDE

Modification of biocontrol agents can play a great role in improving t he biocontrol potential of antagonists. It has been visualised that th e next decade will see wide exploitation of genetic engineering and bi otechnology in the service of biological control. With this idea the m odification of Trichoderma viride was done by a mutagenic chemical N-m ethyl N'-nitro N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG). NTG was found a promosing age nt for induction of mutation in T. viride. At 1500 mug/ml concentratio n of NTG a mutant (TVW-1) with pure white colonies was obtained. The m utant sporulated heavily and had shown a better biocontrol ability tha n the parent strain (TVP) when used against the wilt disease of pigeon -pea caused of Fusarium udum.