Effect of Sclerotial Distribution Pattern of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on Colonizing Ability of Trichoderma harzianum

Field studies were conducted over two seasons during the summers of 1997 and 1998 to investigate the effects of different spatial arrangements(random or highly aggregated) of sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and alginate pellet types(bran or polyethylene glycol) on colonization of sclerotia by Trichoderma spp. Treatment with alginate pellets increased the mean percentages of sclerotia colonized by Trichoderma spp. in both years. Distribution patterns of sclerotia affected the mean percentage of sclerotia colonized by Trichoderma spp. in both years, indicating that a highly aggregated distribution of sclerotia was more favorable to colonization by Trichoderma spp. The effects of the different pellet types(bran or PEG) were not siginificant in both years(P>0.05). The application of higher densities(200 pellets per 1 $m^2$) of alginate pellets resulted in higher mean percentages of sclerotia colonized by Trichoderma spp. in 1998(P<0.05), but did not in 1997.