Possibility of control of Botrytis cinerea on Begonia semperflorens by Trichoderma atroviride SC1

Abstract: A decay of the plant species Begonia semperflorens was observed in several
greenhouses in the territory of the municipality of Podgorica during the months of March and
April 2024. Symptoms were recorded on leaves and flowers as water-soaked spots which then
turn brown and zonate over time. The phytopathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea, the cause of
gray mold disease, was isolated from infected parts of the plant in the Laboratory of
phytopathology of the Biotechnical Faculty in Podgorica. The fungus survives in plant debris
and is favored by high moisture, low temperatures and low light levels in greenhouses. B.
cinerea is a fungus that develops resistance to synthetic fungicides relatively quickly, but also,
fungicides can often leave traces on the plant leaves which represent a problem in sales because of the reduction of the plants’ market value. The efficacy of Trichoderma atroviride SC1 (Vintec®) toward the obtained B. cinerea isolate was tested in vitro. Efficacy was assessed by measuring the diameter and surface area of the developed pathogenic fungus colony in the treatment compared to the control. Three days after inoculation, T. atroviride SC1 disabled the growth of B. cinerea on PDA in Petri dishes, with the efficiency percentage of 65.7 %. The sixth day after the inoculation, T. atroviride SC1 intensively sporulated on the surface of the B. cinerea colony and completely stopped its development. Fungi from the genus Trichoderma are soil microorganisms that stimulate the development of the root system of treated plants. The high degree of efficacy of T. atroviride against B. cinerea in in vitro tests in this study, indicates its potential application in Montenegrin flower production by mixing with the substrate for growing or spraying plants with suspension of the biofungicide.