Trichoderma as an antifungal agent to inhibit Ganoderma growth in oil palm plantation: A Review

Ganoderma sp. is a pathogenic fungus in oil palm plantations that can infect new plants,  shortening the plant's life cycle and causing basal stem rot (BSR) disease. This disease significantly  impacts the reduction in plant productivity in oil palm plantations. An alternative control method  required to address BSR is the utilization of endophytic microorganisms derived from plant tissues, one  of which is the Trichoderma fungus. This fungus is an effective biocontrol agent, inhibiting pathogen  growth and enhancing soil fertility. Trichoderma sp. can compete with pathogens for space and  nutrients, as well as produce enzymes that can degrade the pathogen's cell walls. This review aims to  assess the potential of Trichoderma sp. in inhibiting the growth of Ganoderma sp. on oil palm plants.  The results of the study indicate that Trichoderma sp. exhibits antagonistic activity against pathogens  through several key mechanisms, namely competition for space and nutrients, antibiosis via the  production of secondary metabolites, and mycoparasitism by degrading pathogen hyphae using  hydrolytic enzymes such as chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase. In addition, Trichoderma sp. also plays a role in improving soil fertility, enhancing soil structure, and inducing systemic plant resistance against pathogen attacks. Based on these results, Trichoderma sp. has the potential to serve as an effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable biocontrol agent for managing BPB disease in oil palm plants, although its effectiveness is still influenced by environmental conditions and application techniques in the field.