1PhD., Agriculture Faculty, Davao Del Sur State College (DSSC), Matti, Digos City, Davao del Sur
Email: juanagudera@gmail.com
Background: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) is a serious pathogen that leads to considerable yield reduction in Cavendish banana cultivation. Traditional chemical control approaches have shown limited effectiveness in controlling this disease. For this reason, biological control through beneficial microorganisms such as Trichoderma has received increasing attention as a safer and environmentally sustainable alternative. However, developing a practical and cost-effective liquid formulation of Trichoderma that can be easily used by farmers remains a challenge.
Objective: The study titled "Innovating Liquid Trichoderma (LT) and Field Testing Against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) Infecting Cavendish Banana" was conducted at the Trichoderma Laboratory of Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) and at Cagas Banana Farm in Digos City, Davao del Sur, between June 2020 and December 2022. The research aimed to examine the growth performance and spore production of Trichoderma grown in pasteurized coco-water and to determine the bio-efficacy of Liquid Trichoderma under field conditions in banana plantations heavily infested with Foc.
Methods: A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five replications and several pasteurization treatments was used in the laboratory experiment. The results indicated that Trichoderma successfully developed in fresh coco-water pasteurized for three hours, whereas the fungus did not grow in unpasteurized or fermented media. The harvested culture produced approximately 5.8 million spores per liter within 5–7 days after inoculation.
Results: Field evaluation further indicated that banana plants treated with 100–400 ml LT per liter of water showed infection levels ranging from 14.81% to 18.52%. In contrast, higher application rates (500–1000 ml per liter) significantly reduced infection levels to 0–3.70%. Plants that did not receive any treatment showed 100% infection.
Conclusion: Based on the results, pasteurization of fresh coco-water for three hours followed by harvesting the culture after seven days can be considered a practical technique for producing Liquid Trichoderma to control Fusarium wilt in Cavendish banana.
Keywords: Liquid Trichoderma, coco-water, pasteurization, bio-efficacy, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc)
How to cite this article: Agudera JP, (Innovating Liquid Trichoderma (LT) and Field Testing Against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) Infecting Cavendish Banana. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(12s): 623-626. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.12s.74
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None