A Pipeline to Investigate Fungal–Fungal Interactions: <i>Trichoderma</i> Isolates against Plant-Associated Fungi
Marianna Dourou | Caterina Anna Maria La Porta
Soil fungi play essential roles in ecosystems, forming complex interaction networks with bacteria, yeasts, other fungi, or plants. In the framework of biocontrol strategies, <i>Trichoderma</i>-based fungicides are at the forefront of research as an alternative to synthetic ones. However, the impact of introducing new microbial strain(s) on the soil microbiome of a habitat is not well-explored. Aiming to identify a quantitative method to explore the complex fungal interactions, we isolated twelve fungi from three Italian vineyards and identified three strains of the <i>Trichoderma</i> genus in addition to nine more plant-associated fungi of different genera. Investigating in dual nucleation assay fungal–fungal interactions, we recognised two types of interaction: neutral or antagonistic. All three <i>Trichoderma</i> strains displayed a slight inhibitory behaviour against themselves. <i>Trichoderma</i> strains showed a mutually intermingling growth with <i>Aspergillus aculeatus</i> and <i>Rhizopus arrhizus</i> but antagonistic behaviour against the plant pathogens <i>Alternaria</i> sp., <i>Fusarium ramigenum</i>, and <i>Botrytis caroliniana</i>. Yet, in some cases, antagonistic behaviour by <i>Trichoderma</i> fungi was also observed against plant-promoting fungi (e.g., <i>Aspergillus piperis</i> and <i>Penicillium oxalicum</i>). Our study highlights the importance of studying the interactions between fungi, aiming to clarify better the impact of fungal-based biological fungicides in the soil communities, and offers a pipeline for further applications.
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