Home • Trichoderma atroviride P1 v1.0
T. atroviride strain P1 grown on PDA (25° C,  5 days).
T. atroviride strain P1 grown on PDA (25° C, 5 days).
Photo courtesy of: G. Manganiello, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.

Trichoderma atroviride strain P1 is a filamentous soil fungus that has the ability to grow at low temperatures (10°C). The fungus is a biocontrol agent against a wide range of economically important aerial and soilborne plant pathogens. The mycoparasitic activity of this organism is attributed to a combination of competition for nutrients, production of cell wall-degrading enzymes, and antibiosis. It is an important producer of a wide array of secondary metabolites. Among these, of particular interest are the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) including monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, alcohols, alkenes, furanes and pyrones such as  6-pentyl-alpha-pyrone (6-PP). Research on 6-PP has revealed a multi-faced role for this volatile including its inhibitory effect on the growth of several phyto-pathogenic fungi such as Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium species as well as its ability to promote plant growth and to activate defense responses against pathogens. 6-PP is also responsible for the “coconut aroma” , that is commonly used as flavoring agent in food products.