Addition of Trichoderma consortia to Chilean endemic flora compost teas strongly enhances in vitro and in vivo biocontrol of phytopathogenic fungi.

This article focuses on evaluating the antifungal efficacy of compost teas derived from endemic Chilean flora, inoculated with a consortium of Trichoderma spp. fungal strains, against three phytopathogens: Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, and Lasiodiplodia theobromae. Compost teas prepared from species such as Azara celastrina, Citronella mucronata, Cryptocarya alba, Peumus boldus, and Quillaja saponaria were tested in vitro and in vivo, showing that inoculation with a Trichoderma consortium significantly enhanced their suppressive effects on pathogen growth, with inhibition rates up to 94–97% for B. cinerea and 89–92% for F. oxysporum. In vivo assays on tomato plants demonstrated that combined treatment with compost tea and Trichoderma improved plant growth and reduced disease symptoms more effectively than either treatment alone. The study suggests that compost teas enriched with native Trichoderma strains offer a promising, sustainable alternative for managing phytopathogens in agriculture.