From 40 soil samples collected in the Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Bahia, Goiás and Tocantins states, Brazil, a collection of 230 monosporic isolates of Trichoderma spp. was established using TSM selective media. In order to select efficient isolates for biological control, dual culture tests were carried out on PDA media at 20 ºC for Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and at 25 ºC for Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli. From the whole collection, 50 isolates presented antagonism against F. solani and 111 isolates to S. sclerotiorum. The antagonism against both pathogens was found in only 10% of the isolates. Scanning electron microscopy assessments with seven in vitro selected isolates showed that not all promoted hyperparasitism on the pathogens, suggesting the existence of other mechanisms of antagonism, as antibiosis or competition.
biological control; pathogen-antagonistic fungus interaction; culture collection of fungi
