ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbe and Virus Interactions with Plants
This article is part of the Research TopicHarnessing Trichoderma for Biological Control Against Plant PathogensView all articles
Protease and Chitinase Activity of Trichoderma Isolates and Their Synergy with Biochar in Enhancing Chickpea Defense Related Enzymes
Provisionally accepted
Ranjna Kumari1
Bhupendra Koul1
Adesh Kumar1
Vipul Kumar1*Manpreet Kaur Somal1,2
Rohan Samir Kumar Sachan1,2*- 1Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
- 2Chandigarh Group of Colleges Jhanjeri, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, India
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Word count: 329 Word count: 326 Background: Soil-borne pathogens such as Sclerotium rolfsii (Agroathelia rolfsii (Sacc.)) and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri pose serious threats to chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production. Trichoderma spp. are widely recognized in modern agriculture as effective biocontrol agents due to their ability to produce several lytic enzymes, including chitinases, glucanases, and proteases, which contribute to the inhibition of plant pathogens. Objectives: This study aimed to screen Trichoderma isolates for protease and chitinase activity, evaluate their antagonistic potential against major chickpea pathogens, and assess the synergistic effects of Trichoderma and biochar in disease suppression and plant growth promotion. Methods: A total of 21 Trichoderma isolates were screened for protease and chitinase activity. Four potent strains—T. harzianum (PBT13), T. virens (PBT3), T. lixii (PBT14), and T. asperellum (PBT4)—were selected for further evaluation. Antagonistic activity against F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceri and S. rolfsii were assessed using dual culture assays and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The extracellular chitinase activity of the most active strain was quantified, and its inhibitory effect on pathogen growth was determined. Greenhouse/field experiments tested the combined application of T. harzianum and rice husk biochar on disease incidence, plant defense enzyme activity, germination, chlorophyll content, sclerotia formation, and Trichoderma survivability in soil. Results: Among the tested isolates, T. harzianum (PBT13) showed the highest enzymatic activity and strong antagonism against both pathogens. Extracellular chitinase activity peaked at 60 U/mL, suppressing in vitro growth of F. oxysporum f.sp. ciceri by 95.95% and S. rolfsii by 97.10%. Greenhouse/field trials revealed that combining T. harzianum with rice husk biochar significantly reduced disease incidence, enhanced plant defense enzyme activity, improved germination and chlorophyll content, reduced sclerotia formation, and promoted Trichoderma survival in soil. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that enzyme-active Trichoderma strains, particularly T. harzianum (PBT13), in combination with rice husk biochar, provide a sustainable and synergistic approach for managing soil-borne diseases in chickpea. This integrated strategy not only suppresses pathogens but also improves plant health and resilience, offering a viable alternative to chemical fungicides.
Keywords: biocontrol, elicitor, Hydrolytic enzymes, Pathogen suppression, Plant Immunity
Received: 04 Sep 2025; Accepted: 31 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Kumari, Koul, Kumar, Kumar, Somal and Sachan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Vipul Kumar, vipul.19845@lpu.co.in
Rohan Samir Kumar Sachan, sachan.rohan@yahoo.com
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