Journal of Environmental Biology ®

p-ISSN: 0254-8704 • e-ISSN: 2394-0379 • CODEN: JEBIDP

JEB
Review Article J. Environ. Biol., 2024
Volume 45 Issue 4 July 2024 pp. 363-371 © Triveni Enterprises, Lucknow (India)
DOI: http://doi.org/10.22438/jeb/45/4/MRN-5290 Journal website : www.jeb.co.in « E-mail : [email protected]

Expedition of Trichoderma formulations: Production

to storage in India-A review

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A. Sudha1* , V. Praveen1, A. Selva Amala1, A. Ramalakshmi2, R.Ramjegathesh3, S. Anitta Fanish4 and S. Vimal1
1
Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, India
2
Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, India
3
Department of Plant Pathology, National Pulses Research Centre, Vamban-622 303, India
4
Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003, India

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Received: 06 March 2024 Revised: 16 April 2024 Accepted: 04 June 2024
*Corresponding Author Email : [email protected] *ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0463-0765

Abstract
The usage of biopesticides is far less compared to chemical pesticides available in the market. Trichoderma is an effective biocontrol agent with
a long history of success stories compared to all other available biocontrol agents. Application of Trichoderma formulation enhances the plant growth and
is more effective in managing diseases of crop plants. In India, several popular products derived from different Trichoderma species have found
commercial success among organic growers. In India, certain quantity of fruitful produces are from diverse class of Trichoderma hence, it must be
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commercialized. Many small and medium entrepreneurs have recently started producing biocontrol agents for commercial use, which has led to the
introduction of numerous biocontrol products in the global market. This paper aims to review and discuss the carrier materials, mass production
techniques, target diseases, recommended dose, application methods, storage and shelf life of Trichoderma formulations. The main obstacle inthe
commercialization of bioproducts is reduced shelf life. Therefore, this review will explain the various types of Trichoderma formulations in several
substrates and commercial viability of the substrates.
Key words: Efficacy, Formulation, Substrates, Shelf life, Trichoderma
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Peat based

Saw dust Vermiculite

based based Enhance the shelf life
of biocontrol agent
On

LIQUID Na- alginate

BASED based
Coffee husk based

Biochar Talc based

based
Trichoderma
formulations

LIQUID Gel formulation Enhance the plant health

Oil emulsion
BASED

How to cite: Sudha, A., V. Praveen, A. Selva Amala, A. Ramalakshmi, R.Ramjegathesh, S. Anitta Fanish and S. Vimal: Expedition of Trichoderma
(Educational Services Set-up)
formulations: Production to storages in India-A review. J. Environ. Biol., 45, 363-371 (2024).
 A. Sudha et al.: Journey of Trichoderma formulations

Introduction (Thambugala et al., 2020; Rao et al., 2015). Likewise, VOC of

Trichoderma is also able to control different pathogens like
The field of agriculture is always changing and evolving. Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Fusarium
New farming techniques and biotechnologies are emerging in equisetii etc. (Sudha et al., 2021b) Due to its potency against
wake of the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides phytopathogens, the market demand is increasing every year.
in the 20th century, which has contributed to a significant increase Among the existing biocontrol agents more than 80 species of
yield (Montagu, 2019). Feeding about 9 billion people by 2050 is Trichoderma have been identified that are commonly used in
the next problem to be overcome. Increasing food production, biocontrol agents, including T. virens, T. harzianum and T. viride
especially plant-based food, while protecting the environment is (de Rezende et al., 2020). Only the latter two species are
one of the main concerns worldwide (Godfray, 2014). Currently, commercially available in India. Delivery of antagonists in the field

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nations are working to increase the food production in order to requires different carrier-based formulations. Formulations come
fulfill demand. An increased crop yield is frequently correlated in a variety of forms; which comprises dry substrate (grains,
with better farming practices, especially when using more wettable powders and dust), liquid substrate (water, oil, and
productive varieties that are resistant to common diseases emulsions); these typically contain one active component, but
(Liliane and Charles, 2020). Plant diseases can be prevented, occasionally two, and microencapsulation (Mawar et al., 2021).
mitigated, or controlled using a variety of strategies. farmers The kind of formulation has a major impact on the microbial
mainly rely on chemical pesticides and fertilizers in addition to inoculants effectiveness and the delivery system that keeps the

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proper horticultural and agronomic methods (Fanish, 2013). product fresh for several months and its plant growth promotion
(PGR) (Ramalakshmi et al., 2008) / antagonistic action is
However, people's perception on the use of pesticides in maintained in every situation (Fig. 2) (Howell, 2003). Both solid
agriculture have significantly changed as a result of the and liquid formulations are employed to maintain appropriate
environmental damage brought due to overuse and misuse of amount of viable and active inoculum of Trichoderma. Thses days
agrochemicals (Fig. 1). There is an urgent need to ban harmful farmers are adopting organic cultivation, there is a great demand
chemicals from the market as there are severe limits on the use of for different formulation of biocontrol agents especially
chemical pesticides today (Sudha et al., 2022). As a result, Trichoderma formulation (Sudha et al., 2021a). Shelf life of the
several researchers studying pest management have formulation is of prime importance for commercial use of any
concentrated on creating substitutes for artificial chemicals in the biocontrol agent. This review seeks to bring together data on
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management of pests and deseases. Biological controls are a carriers, formulation and the shelf life of formulation which could
specific kind of alternative among them (Pal and Gardener, 2006). taken to the field for sustainable crop management. Failure of the
There are plenty of fungal biocontrol organisms like developed bioagents may be due to the poor survival rate in soil and
Ampelomyces quisqualis, Anthracocystis fluocculosa, Candida this may be a major hindrance to consistent field performance
oleophila, Coniothyrium minitans, Clonostachys rosea, (Sudha et al., 2021a). In addition, the experiments associated with
Phlebiopsis gigantea, Trichoderma virens, Trichoderma expansion systems for Trichoderma, uplifting the success and
harzianum, Trichoderma polysporum and Chaetomium globosum supportable usage of Trichoderma products in the pitch of healthy
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are present in the environment (Afshan, 2023). Among different farming also need to be addressed.
antagonist organisms, Trichoderma species have been highly
efficient as biocontrol agents against a variety of soil-borne Use of substrates as carrier materials: A variety of low-cost
phytopathogenic fungus (Ramjegathesh et al., 2016; Palmieri et substrates used in numerous studies include neem cake, talc,
al., 2022). dried cow dung, fly ash, mushroom compost, peat soil, vegetable,
fruit and poultry manure, crop wastes, and farm yard manure,
Plant disease management is a major challenge in the rotten wheat, degraded coffee pulp, sawdust, sorghum grain
On

current scenario of crop production (Sood et al., 2020). The floor, groundnut shell, wheat bran and molasses (Babu and
success of biocontrol agent is purely based on the excess Pallavi, 2013). The success of biocontrol programs and
sporulation, and support healthy crop growth is the only factor that agricultural sustainability is largely dependent on the
determines its effectiveness. Trichoderma spp. are saprophytic, development of profitable, widely accepted, and simple-to-
avirulent, soil-dwelling fungi that use a variety of biocontrol prepare formulations (Mustafa et al., 2009).
strategies to suppress pathogen growth, including rhizospheric
competence, mycoparasitism, and secreting enzymes that break Types of formulation: Trichoderma can be used commercially
down pathogen cell walls (Zin and Badaluddin, 2020; Joshi et al., to improve crop health or control plant diseases, but this requires
2012). The volatile (VOCs) and non-volatile compounds (NVOCs) production of commercial formulations with appropriate carriers
are able to suppress the growth of pathogen are produced by that allow Trichoderma to survive for a definite period of time.
Trichoderma spp. (Sudha, 2023). Trichoderma is a widely Based on different carrier material formulations can be broadly
recognized source of potential biocontrol agent among classified into two types solid based and liquid based.
commercial fungal antagonists, especially for reducing soil-borne
phytopathogens such as Sclerotium rolfsii, Macrophomina Solid-based formulation: Agricultural wastes, such as rice bran,
phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum etc. sugarcane bagasse, saw dust, corn cob meal, and wheat straw,

364 Journal of Environmental Biology, July 2024

 A. Sudha et al.: Journey of Trichoderma formulations

Improved physiochemical process by

increasing the photosynthesis
and delayed senescence

Enhance the morphological Enhance the yield of

growth by regulating the crop plants by
phytohormones. increasing the physical
and physiological

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growth of the plants.
Induction of diseases
resistance by inducing Enhance the
ISR, SAR, HR abiotic stress
tolerance by
upregulating the
ameliorative genes.

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Increases the high nutrient use
Improved
effiency by deep root
water holding
penetration and siderophore
capacity
production

Fig. 1: Impacts of Trichoderma on crop plants.

extensive manufacturing of microbial formulation with desiccated

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High elements is accomplished by the cost-effective approach of spray
proficiency drying (Morgan et al., 2006).
in the
rhizosphere Rice bran-based formulation: Rice bran substrates are
Consistency Strong competitive considered as low cost and they are related to the usage of crop
with extra saprophytic wastes or agro-based wastes as carriers for conidia production,
bioagents. which can support for nutrient and bioagent growth (De la Cruz
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capacity.
Salient Quiroz et al., 2015). Sala et al. (2021) reported that temperature
feature of and moisture (55–60%) are the main factors influencing spore
formulation production (2.0×109 spores g-1 dry matter) in rice bran formulation.
Kobori et al. (2015), reported that substrates, such as wheat bran
Safe for Enhancement and rice husk were frequently used, that can be replaced with rice
the of plant bran or maize, which might be utilized as human feed, or
environment growth
On

sugarcane bagasse, which has been subjected to further

Simplicity research.
in massive
manufacturing. Talc based formulation: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has
created formulations of Trichoderma viride, with talc serving as
the basic ingredient. Trichoderma is cultured in a liquid medium,
then mixed with talcum powder and dried in the shade until the
Fig. 2: Salient features of Trichoderma formulations. moisture level reaches 8% in 3-4 months shelf life. It has become
popular in India for its efficacy in managing a range of soil-borne
diseases by the application at a dosage of 4 to 5 g kg-1 seed
(Jeyarajan, 2006). T. harzianum isolate shows maximum
are utilized either separately or in combination as a substrate or reduction in rot (69.0%), which was followed by foliar spraying of
food foundation to aid in the growth of Trichoderma (Jin et al., garlic bulb aqueous extract (60.8%) (Zehra et al., 2017). Talc
1992). Although this formulation is enormous and needs a lot of formulation of Trichoderma treated seedling plots showed
space for preparation, inoculation, storage, drying, and grinding, 70–80% decrease in Fusarial wilt in watermelon and a 27–30%
it is economical for small-scale production. On the other hand, the increase in fruit yield (Ramesh and Singh, 2017). Sinha et al.

365 Journal of Environmental Biology, July 2024

 A. Sudha et al.: Journey of Trichoderma formulations

(2018) studied the bioefficacy of talc formulation of Trichoderma from 1% sewage sludge eradicated Macrophomina phaseolina
viride and T. harzianum with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. capsici infection in vitro.
causing wilt disease in chilli by 87.5 and 83.93%, Kakvan et al.
(2013) tested the efficacy of talc based formulation on damping off Coffee husk- based formulation: Spent Coffee Grounds is an
disease in surgarbeet caused by Rhizoctonia solani, which organic based amendment and nutrient supplier to enrich the soil
reduced the diseases incidence upto 69.73% under greenhouse which can augment essential micro-and-macro elements (da
condition. Seed treatment and soil application of T. harzianum Silva Delabona et al., 2012). Moreover spent coffee grounds can
recorded the lowest incidence of stem rotin cluster bean (4.66%) stimulate respiration and induce microbial activity once
(Muthukumar et al., 2022). The disease incidence (63.6%) at 50 incorporated into soil (Oancea et al., 2017). In Karnataka and
DAT dramatically decreased by the seedling dip and soil treatment Kerala, this mixture is frequently used to treat black pepper foot

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of T. harzianum (talc-based) @ 200g per plot. Neem cake fortified rot caused by Phytophthora. SCG sterilized peat substrate was
with Trichoderma talc formulation is recommended to treat stem augmented with T. atroviride Ta3 and Ta4 decrease the inoculum
bleeding of coconut and arecanut as well as coconut basal stem density of damping off incited by P. nicotianae. (Chilosi et al.,
rot (Neeraja et al., 2018). 2020).

Formulation based on alginate prills: In a alginate-based Dry flowable formulation: It is safe for farmers and the
Trichoderma formulation natural polymer alginate is combined environment to use dry flowable/water-dispersible granule

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with Trichoderma. Alginate is obtained from seaweed. (Bhai, formulations (Knowles, 2008). Owing to their granular
2020). Sunflower seeds treated with 1% Na-alginate mixture with composition, these preparations do not absorb moisture from the
gum arabic reduced infection in Macrophomina phaseolina (Anis atmosphere. Since encapsulation is essential to improve the
et al., 2012). formulation type's longevity and efficacy, it is the first step in the
manufacturing dry flowable formulations. As previously stated,
Press mud-based formulation: A sugarcane waste called press Trichoderma has been encapsulated by using modified alginate
mud is used as a substrate for Trichoderma mass multiplication. microbeads or a dry approach (Jin and Custis, 2011), using
Application of sulphitated press mud based T. viride formulation in chemicals such as citric acid, polyacrylic acid and sodium
calcarious soil increased the production of sugarcane was bicarbonate as a basis for spray-dried flowable system, together
reported by Ram et al. (2024). with lecithin as a wetting agent and polyvinyl alcohol as a binder
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(Oancea et al., 2016).
Wheat bran and vermiculite based formulation: The study
assessed the usage of inexpensive substrates such as rice, corn, Saw dust-based formulation: Sawdust as a carrier material is
and wheat bran in order to produce Trichoderma spores. The best highly readily available, naturally able to hold onto a higher
bran was identified as wheat bran, which can be used for spore degree of non-chemical matter, and has a higher water retaining
cultivation because all strains of Trichoderma had high spore capacity than other substrates recommended as it (Arora et al.,
counts. Cavalcante et al. (2008) found that overall survival and 2001). Compared to other substrates, saw dust was the most
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saprophytic development of Rhizoctonia solani were examined to acceptable and also examined carrier for bioagent growth. The
be reduced in relation to the efficacy of formulation. Seedlings of findings of Huang et al. (2011) suggested that a variety of media
melon plants treated with Bentonite–vermiculite formulation of T. containing worm castings and sawdust can enhance crop
harzianum was found to reduce the incidence of Fusarium wilt development. Here, the slow-growing plants can benefit from the
and enhance shoot weight in nursery (Martínez-Medina et al., medium combination with Trichoderma, while the fast-growing
2009).Chammem et al. (2021) conducted a study where they crops are affected by the growth medium in addition to 40% worm
found that T. atroviride C52 was able to considerably reduce the castings and 60% sawdust, or 60% worm castings and 40%
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disease occurrence (>50%) of F. oxysporum in Cucumis melo sawdust devoid of Trichoderma (Lin et al., 2021). After 25 days of
plants for eight weeks while remaining stable in a bentonite- inoculation, the Trichoderma-inoculated substrate displayed a
vermiculite formulation. spore load of 10.23×107 (Saw Dust + Peat Soil + Water, ratio-
1:1:2), which is the least amount of spore generation when
Biochar-based formulations: Biochar is a porous and light compared to gram bran andpeat soil. (Adan et al., 2015).
material obtained from pyrolysis of biomass. It is composed of
carbon and ash, although the precise final composition depends Liquid formulation: The composition of liquid formulations for
on the type of biomass selected (Li et al., 2018; Garkoti et al., bioagents might differ, nevertheless generally speaking, these
2014). The survival of spores and viability of T. viride, is notably consist of mineral or organic oils, polymers, microbial cultures or
more with the usage of the small particle biochar. Due to easy suspensions combined with water. In the context of microbial
handling, biochar can be a choice for a dry carrier substance. inoculants, suspension concentrates are often prepared by
When applied in fields, it not only increases the spore production employing conventional techniques to introduce dense vigorous
of Trichoderma spp. and it also increases the soil size to hold ingredients which are free or restrained microbials in an aqueous
water, which lowers soil fertilizer drainage and encourages plant solution (Gopalakrishnan et al., 2016). Furthermore, items need
growth. Araujo et al. (2019) showed that applying biochar made to be processed with increased sterility since they are more prone

366 Journal of Environmental Biology, July 2024

 A. Sudha et al.: Journey of Trichoderma formulations

to bacterial contamination in the liquid or gel medium. Due to comparison to T. harzianum and ZnSO4 alone, or combination of
these factors, dry formulations are most commonly available in two showed greater bioactivity against the soil-borne fungal
markets. In this case, the majority of recent research has been on pathogen Rhizoctonia solani (Sriram et al., 2011).
methods and procedures for formulating the liquid formulation that
support spore viability for extended shelf life period (about >24–48 Shelf life: Effective marketing of a biocontrol agent mainly
weeks at ambient settings). The freely available liquid and gel depends on the product's shelf life. In general an organic food
formulations are covered below, including those that encapsulate substrates foundation's antagonists must have a prolonged shelf
oil and those that encapsulate in natural polymer networks like life than an inactive or inanimate food base. Trichoderma has a
alginate. longer shelf-life of more than 18 months in coffee husk. Research
conducted on the packing of T. viride formulation in polypropylene

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Oil emulsion: Trichoderma is combined with an oil carrier, container of different colors showed that milky white bags with a
including mineral, vegetable, and coconut oils gives stability to thickness of 100 microns had the highest population (Sriram et
the formulation. The oil carrier serves as a barrier to shield al., 2010). According to Bhat et al. (2009), talc-based formulations
Trichoderma formulations from the UV rays and high have a 180-day shelf life in ambient conditions.
temperatures. Oil-based formulations have the ability to improve
adhesion on plant leaves, seeds and other surfaces. Additionally, Conidia of Trichoderma preserved by using coconut oil as
they boost the action against plant diseases and allow a primary component of the emulsified formulation showed

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Trichoderma to slowly release into the treated region. Surfactants enhanced shelf life (Lei et al., 2022). Rai and Tewari (2016)
like vegetable oil (groundnut, etc.) and gasoline distillates (diesel reported that conidia that are actively growing from different
and mineral oil) eliminate bacteria from non-aqueous solvents. Trichoderma species make up about 90% of formulations. Paste
When mixed with water, this can produce a constant suspension. and liquid based formulations have a longer shelf life for
Because they need a great application of an emulsifying Trichoderma compared to dry formulations. The farmer will be
component (oil-soluble), emulsifiable concentrates quickly form a able to guarantee a higher output by applying paste and liquid
homogenous emulsion when diluted in water. Batta (2007) formulations of biocontrol agents in orchards and farms (Rai and
created an emulsion formulation of T. harzianum that significantly Tewari, 2016). At 25oC, the population of T. viride in the charcoal-
decreased Botrytis cinerea-causing post-harvest fruit rot. based formulation decreased to 69.98% on 120th of storage
(Kumar et al., 2013). Different types of substrates, their
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Paraffin oil treatment showed the highest CFU count (28 x composition and shelf life are tabulated in below Table 1.
108 CFU) at 30 DAS, compared with talc-based cultures
(54.06%). From 60 DAI to 180 DAI, there was a notable decrease Mode of action: Numerous abiotic factors, including soil pH,
in spore germination over the entire treatment period. Among the water retention, temperature, and the presence of heavy metals
plant pathogenic fungi, F. oxysporum showed minimum growth influence the success rate of Trichoderma establishment.
rate (74.44%), followed by R. solani in terms of percent growth Trichoderma spp. have the ability to biologically control plant
inhibition on 8th day of infection (Mane et al., 2021). The oil diseases because of their complex interactions with them, which
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dispersal formulation includes, glucose, soybean oil a dispersing may involve parasitism, the secretion of antibiotics, or
agent, and a physical agent (Mbarga et al., 2014). Herrera et al. competition for nutrients and space. Trichoderma spp. induce
(2020) showed thatemulsified formulation of T. asperellumTV190 hydrolytic enzyme production including glucanase, chitinase, and
in mineral oil (43%) and vegetable oil (63%) had higher spore protease during mycoparasitic interactions. They also activate
viability of 28.00 X108 CFU ml-1 and 18.00 X108 CFU ml-1 after 180 signaling pathways, the most significant of which are MAP kinase,
days. the cAMP pathway, and heterotrimeric G protein. The production
of infection structures and the secretion of antifungal metabolites
On

Gel-based liquid formulations: Typically, semisolid are primarily mediated by G protein and MAPK. The cAMP
formulations (gel-based) use an oil to soothe condensed pathway prevents the growth of harmful fungus by assisting
Trichoderma colonies in a hydrated form. Gelatin polyethylene Trichoderma mycelium in coiling and conditioning on them.
glycol and starch in 3:1:1 ratio are used to prepare the hydrogel. Various formulations of Trichoderma spp. have been developed
The maximum activity in gel-based and liquid formulations makes with different carrier materials for their effective impact on crop
it much more difficult to extend the shelf life than in parched (dry) plants. (Sudha et al., 2019).
formulations because of spontaneous germination (Elshafie et
al., 2020). Spores and/or mycelia are entrapped within the Key challenges and future approaches for biopesticides: The
swollen hydrogel matrices to create novel formulations, or field application of Trichoderma encapsulated formulation,
xerogel containing zinc sulphate was physically mixed in it. In the transmission, documentation of Trichoderma spp. for
presence of ZnSO4, T. harzianum showed noticeably increased management of leaf diseases (Ramjegathesh et al., 2011), with
survival up to 150 ppm, after which there was a gradual drop in extended shelf-life, reliability of performance in the field are main
viability. Due to hydrogel carrier or saturated ZnSO4, both the challenges. In addition, the registration procedure of Trichoderma
compositions (wet and dry) showed extended shelf life with T. under CIB&RC, optimization of product and promotion cost
harzianum up to 180 days deprived of any signs of toxicity. In should be the focus of future research simultaneously. For

367 Journal of Environmental Biology, July 2024

 A. Sudha et al.: Journey of Trichoderma formulations

Table 1: Different types of substrates, their composition and shelf life

Substrates Composition Shelf Life References
Talc Molasses yeast extract (MYE) medium+ Extended the shelf-life for 7 to (Sriram et al., 2011)
glycerol (3%) (V/V) + T. harzianum + 12 months
Talc powder
Oil T. asperellum + paraffin oil 28.67X108 cfu ml-1 for 30 days (Patil et al., 2021)
Dextrin T. harzianumscum (500 g) + Paraffin 4.33 X107 cfu g-1) for six months (Rai and Tewari, 2016)
oil (500 ml) + CMC (0.2%) +
chitosan (0.1%)

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Rice powder Sterilized rice powder + dextrose + 10 X 109 up to six months (Rini et al., 2020)
talc powder +T. viride at room temperature
Chitosan-PEG Chitosan-PEG + T. harzianum Six to seven months 6.0 X (Prasad et al., 2022)
spores + glacial acetic acid (0.1%) 1010 cfu g-1
Graphite and silica B. subtilis and T. harzianum + 5% Five to six months 6.2 X (Marcelo et al., 2021)
graphite 80 mesh + 1% silica Nps 1010 cfu g-1
Compost activator Fifty grams of soil + rice straw (5 g) + 5.3 X 1010 cfu g-1 Three months (Organo et al., 2022)

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with Trichoderma Trichoderma biomass (500 mg)
T2- liquid formulation Liquidformulation (NIPHM medium) Nine months 39 X 107 cfu g-1 (Komala et al., 2019)
Trichoderma filtrate (250 ml) + water
(750 ml) + glycerol (3%)
Wheat flour- kaolin Wheat flour (80 gm) + kalolin (20 gm) + Four months 3.2 X 1012 cfu g-1 (Ramanujam et al., 2010)
fermenter biomass (52 ml)
Sodium alginate Trichoderma suspension + Uptosix years at room (Rai et al., 2021)
sodium alginate (0.6%) solution+ temperature 3 X 1012 cfu g-1
CaCl2 (1.5%)
Banana waste Banana waste (chopped 5–6 cm length) Six months 5.3 X 1010 cfu g-1 (Thangavelu et al., 2004)
+ rock phosphate
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Oil Glycerol (1%), PVP (1%), Tween 20 (1%) Four months 39 X 107 cfu g-1 (Sreenayana and
as an emulsifying agent, ZnSO4 (0.5%) Nakkeeran, 2019)
to increase the shelf-life,coconut oil, and
distilled water
Vermiculite bentonite Oat (20 g) + bentonite (50 ml) + 3 X 1012 cfu g-1 Three months (Martínez-Medina
vermiculite + T. harzianum + water et al., 2009)
(60 ml)
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Wood pellets Beech, fir, and chestnut + conidial Three months 28 X 107 cfu g-1 (Chammem et al., 2021)
suspensions of T. atroviride + distilled
water + soy flour
Sorghum grain Partial crushed grain + sugar (1%) solution 6.1 X 104 cfu g-1 Two months (Ananda et al., 2011)
+ distilled water
Talc Talcum powder + CMC + Trichoderma culture 37 X 107 cfu g-1 Four months (Mohiddin et al., 2017)
On

instance, finding new strains of Trichoderma can support or produced as liquids, wettable powders, and granules for use as
encourage the utilization of bioenergy or the development of soil drenches,foliar sprays, or seed treatments. Globally, the
bioproducts (Mishra et al., 2020). The ecological factors including commercialization of biocontrol products is expanding quickly;
temperature, moisture, pH, nutrients can affect the efficacy of nevertheless, due to lack of efficient laws, biological products are
Trichoderma (Murphy et al., 2018). Moreover, follow up work has still gaining traction in the agricultural market slowly. The
to be carried out during or after the development or delivery of developed formulation must be tested under protected
formulation under in vitro and in vivo conditions. cultivations and also in various agro-climatic zones. Nonetheless,
combining urban technology from a different field with a scant
The present review encompassed the work on grasp of biological formulations could lead to the creation of more
Trichoderma formulations, shelf life mode of action and their bio accurate and reliable formulations.
efficacy. The genus has many qualities and potential market value
among the farming community, especially from organic growers. Acknowledgments
The formulation has the ability as protectants, growth promoters,
environment adaptability and safe to all kinds of living beings. The Authors are thankful to the Department of Plant
microbial biocontrol agents have conventionally remained mass- Pathology and The Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies, Tamil
368 Journal of Environmental Biology, July 2024
 A. Sudha et al.: Journey of Trichoderma formulations

Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore for technical. Mycol. Plant Pathol., 39, 263 (2009).
Cavalcante, R.S., H.L.S. Lima, G.A.S. Pinto, C.A.T. Gava and S.
Authors’ contribution: A. Sudha: Contributed in collecting Rodrigues: Effect of moisture on Trichoderma conidia production
material, guiding for preparing the manuscript, reviewing, editing on corn and wheat bran by solid state fermentation. Food
Bioprocess Technol., 1, 100-104 (2008).
and supervision; V. Praveen: Collecting the literature, writing and Chammem, H., A. Nesler and I. Pertot: Wood pellets as carriers of conidia
original draft preparation; A. Selva Amala: Editing, supervision of Trichoderma atroviride SC1 for soil application. Fungal. Biol.,
and revision; A. Ramalakshmi, R.Ramjegathesh, S. 125, 989-998 (2021).
Anittafanish: Editing, grammar correction and revision; S. Chilosi, G., M.P. Aleandri, E. Luccioli, S.R. Stazi, R. Marabottini, C.
Vimal: Figure editing and revision. Morales-Rodríguez, A.M. Vettraino and A. Vannini: Suppression of
soil-borne plant pathogens in growing media amended with

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Funding: Funding not received from the host institution. Own espresso spent coffee grounds as a carrier of Trichoderma spp.
funding only. Sci. Hort., 259, 108666 (2020).
da Silva Delabona, P., C.S. Farinas, M.R. da Silva, S.F. Azzoni and J.G.
da Cruz Pradella. Use of a new Trichoderma harzianum strain
Research content: The review content of manuscript is original isolated from the Amazon rainforest with pretreated sugar cane
and has not been published elsewhere. bagasse for on-site cellulase production. Bioresour. Technol., 107,
517-521 (2012).
Ethical approval: Not applicable. De la Cruz Quiroz, R., S. Roussos, D. Hernández, R. Rodríguez, F.

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Castillo and C.N. Aguilar: Challenges and opportunities of the bio-
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that is there is no pesticides production by solid-state fermentation: filamentous
conflict of interest. fungi as a model. Crit. Rev. Biotechnol., 35, 326-333 (2015).
de Rezende, L.C., A.L. de Andrade Carvalho, L.B. Costa, B. de Almeida
Halfeld-Vieira, L.G. Silva, Z.V. Pinto, M.A.B. Morandi, F.H.V. de
Data availability: Not applicable. Medeiros, G.M. Mascarin and W. Bettiol: Optimizing mass
production of Trichoderma asperelloides by submerged liquid
Consent to publish: All authors agreed to publish the review fermentation and its antagonism against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.
paper in Journal of Environmental Biology. World J. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 36, 1-14 (2020).
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