Trichoderma ID

[RIDLEYG at fri.cri.nz]

     Terry Brown wrote
     
     "Sorry I can't help with your problem (obviously. being in New 
     Zealand), but just thought I'd make sure you were aware of the work 
     done on T. vs. Armillaria - it's proved quite effective at protecting 
     forestry and horticultural species here."
     
     
     Hang on a moment here. I am unaware that Trichoderma has ever been 
     used successfully for the long term control of Armillaria in any New 
     Zealand plantation forest. It may have given some control in an 
     experimental situation but I am unaware that it has ever been used in 
     a production forest or for that matter followed through a full 
     rotation. My impression of what has happened in horticulture is that 
     Trichoderma preparations are used, but because these crops are 
     intensively managed that results are often confounded. I know of one 
     kiwifruit grower who swears blind that his injections of Trichoderma 
     into the diseased vine's trunk eliminated the Armillaria. However we 
     later found he also removed the soil from the root collar and blasted 
     it with water. The exposing of the root collar is an old method for 
     controlling root pathogens. I would like to believe that Trichoderma 
     did work and would love to see the published results verifying it. 
     Just saying it three times does not make it so.
     
     Geoff Ridley
     
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     Dr Geoff Ridley                                   
     Mycologist/ Forest Pathologist
     
     New Zealand Forest Research Institute          
     Private Bag 3020                                  
     Rotorua, New Zealand
     
     e-mail: ridleyg at fri.cri.nz
     Phone:  +64 7 347 5899
     Fax:    +64 7 374 5333