Trichoderma (& treatment of Botrytis galanthina)

[mark smyth]

I missed all of this until I was speaking to Anne W today. What a fascinating topic.

What has happened in the last 4 months? Has anyone used it on twinscales?

[Lesley Cox]

It wasn't until now Maggi that I read the response to your and Alan's query. It is all very interesting. from the information I was given some years ago when Trichoderma products first appeared in NZ, only native species were involved, of which some 200 had been described. How many were involved in making the products I don't know.

In the meantime, I have sprinkled a little granular Trichoderma (Rootmate) in my seed compost this year and the results are almost embarrassing. I haven't lost a single seedling (at the germinating stage or after) and will have to throw out hundreds, or else populate the entire country with primulas, dianthus, campanulas and so many other things. Frits and Narcissus pots look as if I'm growing thick lawn. In the past I've had quite a problem with frit seedlings damping off about 3 or 4 weeks after germinating but that problem seems thoroughly solved.

[annew]

After I spoke to Mark, I have put together a small controlled experiment with some snowdrops. I have chipped:
1. Trym, which is extremely slow to make bulbils
2. Sophie North, which I also find difficult to get from chips
3. Wendy's Gold - some bulbs that had been badly mauled by the severe winter and were also showing staining which I took to be infection by stagonospora
4. Blonde Inge - as 3
I cleaned away dead tissue as usual then halved each bulb, putting the chips from each half into either a fungicide solution, or a suspension of trichoderma spores. Each set were then put into boxes with moist perlite and incubated at 21C.
I will let you know the results later in the year.

[Brian Ellis]

An interesting experiment Anne, I am sure we will all be most interested to know the outcome.

[annew]

Just realised that it's not a proper controlled expt with out a control- I didn't do a set with just plain water on its own.  

Here's some info from the manufacturer of one brand, and a UK source:

See: http://www.koppert.com/diseases/overview/products/detail/trianum-p-2/

also:
http://www.jfcmonro.co.uk/search.asp?types=yes&type=Biological+Control+%3E+Sprays

[majallison]

I didn't make a proper control but I had some twinscales from Nerine 'Zeal Purplestripe' which were rotting after 7 or 8 weeks, so I immersed them in a Trichoderma solution which arrested the rot & I now have a couple of very tiny bulbs.

[annew]

That's good to hear. Does anybody know what is the shelf-life of this stuff? If I buy 5kg, how long will I have to use it before it becomes inactive?

[Maggi Young]

I think the shelf life of the granules is quite long, Anne. It can even last up to six months when mixed in a paste, I'm told.
 A chum who is ( vaguely!) into hydroponics gave me this link....
http://urbangardenmagazine.com/2011/02/trichoderma-in-hydroponic-systems/ which you may find of interest.
Contains some notes about possible interactions/conflicts with other fungi, e.g. mycorhizzal.... no conclusive evidence one way or the other, it appears.  

[annew]

Thanks, Maggi. It's just that the supplier said the pack had a sell-by date of November 2011. I'd have to go a bit if I was to use that quantity in just 4 months.

[Martin Baxendale]

From what I've been reading, it seems that Trichoderma is active above 10c, so the time to apply it would be in mid to late Summer as rooting starts. It also appears not to be harmed by carbendazim, the fungicide that's most effective against stagonospora (but only available to commercial growers).  So I guess a commercial snowdrop grower could use Trichoderma alongside carbendazim (though the advice seems to be not to apply both at the same time): http://side-effects.koppert.nl/#

[Martin Baxendale]

The shelf life is said to be four months if stored correctly (below 10c apparently, so I guess you keep it in the fridge, especially once the aluminium storage bag has been opened). I'd guess that kept in a fridge it might keep longer than four months as the low temperature should prevent spores germinating. Maybe you could get two years use out of a bag.

[Martin Baxendale]

Anne, were you thinking of using the granular compost additive? I was thinking about the liquid form for watering into pots and watering onto snowdrop growing areas in the garden. Might be handy to have both, but a tad expensive.

[annew]

I am acquiring both, to give me some choice. I've only just realised that I can't add it to my daff-potting compost because it would be some time after application before it was watered in the September monsoon, and it would have gone off in the warm compost by then. So it would have to be applied as the powder actually in the 'storm' water. Hope you're following this 
It would be fine for galanthus/trilliums etc though, because they are watered straight away after potting.
I will have too much for my own use so will be prepared to share with others, if they will pay the extra postage as well as a proportion of the cost.
Here is a summary of the application rates, but you might like to check my maths...

Trianum application rates

[/b]
1. Application and dose of trianum P

Apply 1.5 grams of TRIANUM-P per m² of cultivated area (suspended in 2.5 - 5 litres of water) immediately after sowing or planting cuttings (non-rooted or rooted).
 
Cultivation in soil at high crop density, with little space between plants (vegetables, herbs, bulbs, ornamentals, perennials and arboriculture)
      Apply TRIANUM-P directly after planting, at a dose of 3.0 grams per m² of cultivated area (suspended in 10 litres of water).
      Apply TRIANUM-P at half dose (1.5 grams per m²) if plants were treated during the propagation stage.
      Repeat the treatment with TRIANUM-P every 10-12 weeks or after re-potting into larger containers, also using half the dose.
 
Cultivation in soil and substrate in rows, or at lower crop density, where plants are more widely spaced (vegetables, soft fruit, ornamentals, perennials and arboriculture)
      Apply TRIANUM-P directly after planting, at a dose of 30 grams per 1,000 pots (suspended in 100 litres of water).
      Apply TRIANUM-P at half dose (15 grams per 1,000 pots) if plants were treated during the propagation stage.
      Repeat the treatment with TRIANUM-P every 10-12 weeks or after re-potting into larger containers, also using half the dose.
30g per 1000 pots = 3 g per 100 pots (doesn't specify pot size) suspended in 10L of water.
3g of powder will treat 1m² of planting or 100 pots
1 x 500g pack = 166 doses of 3g     (5 lots of 33 doses)
 
2. Application and dose of trianum G
Mix TRIANUM-G mechanically with the growing medium, sowing or potting of plants. Dosage:
      750 g/m3 of growing medium at first application
      375 g/m3 growing medium at following applications (repotting)
Make sure that the material is evenly distributed through the growing medium.

1 bag of JI is 25L
I add same quantity of other stuff to give 50L
1m3 = 10x10x10L = 1000L = 20 x 50L
I need to add 750÷50g = 15g
15g of granules will treat 50L of compost

1 pack of 5000g = 330 doses of 15g (5 lots of 66 doses)

 

[annew]

If anyone is interested in a share, please pm me (UK only)

[Martin Baxendale]

It sounds like the granular form would be okay in the dry/dryish compost for a few  months before watering: http://www.trianum.com/en/products/trianum-g.html

Look at the bottom of the page in the above link, under shelf life.