Trichoderma Viride Uses in Agriculture: Dosage per Acre,Application Methods & Expert Tips

Trichoderma viride is a beneficial soil fungus used as a bio fungicide. It protects crop roots from soil-borne diseases such as root rot, damping-off and wilt, and improves root growth and nutrient uptake. For a 1% WP formulation, the standard dosage is 1–2 kg per acre, applied through seed treatment, FYM enrichment, soil drenching or drip irrigation.

Key takeaways

• Trichoderma is a protector, not a rescue spray. Apply before disease appears.
• The most effective method is FYM enrichment: multiply it in manure for 7–10 days, then apply to soil.
• Never tank-mix with chemical fungicides. Keep a 7-day gap.
• It needs moisture and organic matter to survive and multiply.

What Is Trichoderma Viride?

Trichoderma viride is a naturally occurring fungus found around the roots of plants in healthy soil. It is sold as a wettable powder (WP) or liquid and is one of the most widely used biological fungicides in India — across vegetables, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruit crops and plantations.

Unlike a chemical fungicide, Trichoderma is alive. Once applied, it settles in the root zone (rhizosphere) and keeps multiplying as long as the soil has moisture and organic matter. That is why a single well-timed application protects for longer than one chemical spray.

How Trichoderma Viride Works

Trichoderma protects crops in four ways:

1. Mycoparasitism — It coils around disease-causing fungi and feeds on them.
2. Competition — It grows fast and occupies the root surface first, leaving no space or food for pathogens.
3. Antibiosis and enzymes — It releases antifungal compounds and enzymes that break down the cell walls of harmful fungi.
4. Induced resistance — It switches on the plant’s own defence system, so the crop resists later attacks better.

The bonus: Trichoderma also stimulates root branching. More roots mean better water and nutrient uptake — especially useful in stress-prone rainfed fields.

Diseases Controlled by Trichoderma Viride

Disease	Common pathogen	Crops commonly affected
Damping-off	Pythium, Rhizoctonia	Chilli, tomato, brinjal, onion nurseries
Root rot / dry root rot	Rhizoctonia, Macrophomina	Red gram, black gram, chickpea, groundnut, cotton
Wilt	Fusarium spp.	Tomato, red gram, chickpea, banana, cotton
Collar rot / stem rot	Sclerotium rolfsii	Groundnut, chilli, tomato
Rhizome rot	Pythium	Turmeric, ginger
Seed rot and seedling blight	Various soil fungi	Most field crops

 

Trichoderma Viride Dosage per Acre

The doses below are for BHOOMIKA® (Trichoderma viride 1% WP). Always follow the label on your pack.

Application method	Dosage	How to apply
Seed treatment	10 g per kg seed	Make a slurry with a little water, coat seeds evenly, dry in shade for 20–30 minutes, sow the same day
Seedling root dip	10 g per litre of water	Dip roots for 20–30 minutes just before transplanting
FYM enrichment (best)	1–2 kg in 100 kg FYM	Incubate 7–10 days in shade, then apply to 1 acre
Soil drench / nursery	10 g per litre of water	Drench around the stem base or nursery beds
Drip irrigation	1–2 kg per acre	Mix in water, filter, run through drip in the last cycle
Rhizome, tuber, sett or cutting treatment	10 g per litre of water	Dip planting material for 20–30 minutes before planting

 

How to Enrich FYM with Trichoderma (Step-by-Step)

FYM enrichment multiplies Trichoderma spores many times before they reach your field. It is the single most effective way to use it.

1. Take 100 kg of well-decomposed FYM or compost. Never use fresh dung — the heat kills the fungus.
2. Add water until the manure is moist but not dripping. A fistful should hold its shape.
3. Mix 1–2 kg BHOOMIKA® evenly through the heap. Optional: add 5–10 kg neem cake.
4. Heap it in shade and cover with wet gunny bags.
5. Turn the heap every 3–4 days and sprinkle water to keep it moist.
6. After 7–10 days, white-green fungal growth appears. The mix is ready.
7. Broadcast over 1 acre at the last ploughing, or apply in the root zone or planting pits.

For orchards (banana, pomegranate, mango, citrus): apply enriched FYM in the plant basin at planting and again before and after the monsoon, quantity based on plant age.

Seed Treatment with Trichoderma: Step-by-Step

1. Take 10 g Trichoderma per kg of seed.
2. Add just enough water (with a little jaggery) to form a thin slurry.
3. Mix with seed until every seed is coated.
4. Dry in shade for 20–30 minutes. Never in direct sun.
5. Sow the same day.

Tip: If you also use a biofertilizer like Rhizobium or PSB, treat with Trichoderma first, then the biofertilizer. If seeds are already coated with a chemical fungicide, skip seed treatment and apply Trichoderma to the soil instead.

Crops That Benefit Most

Trichoderma viride suits almost every crop. It gives the clearest results in:

• Vegetables: chilli, tomato, brinjal, okra, onion, cucurbits
• Pulses: red gram, black gram, green gram, chickpea
• Oilseeds and cotton: groundnut, sunflower, cotton
• Spices: turmeric, ginger
• Fruit crops: banana, pomegranate, papaya, citrus
• Paddy nurseries, plantations and floriculture

Trichoderma Viride vs Trichoderma Harzianum

Point	Trichoderma viride	Trichoderma harzianum
Type	Beneficial fungus, bio fungicide	Beneficial fungus, bio fungicide
Targets	Soil-borne fungal diseases	Soil-borne fungal diseases
Common use	Seed treatment, nursery and soil application in field crops and vegetables	Soil application in vegetables, fruit crops and plantations
Root-growth effect	Yes	Yes
Varsha products	BHOOMIKA®, BHOOMIKA PLUS™	HARIZ™, ANTO™

 

Bottom line: Both species are proven. Choose the one recommended for your crop and region. Not sure? Call our agronomy team at +91-8285684222.

Compatibility: What to Mix and What to Avoid

Compatible

• Biofertilizers — Rhizobium, Azotobacter, PSB, KSB (see our biofertilizer guide)
• Pseudomonas fluorescens — AGNEE®
• Neem cake, FYM, vermicompost

Avoid

• Chemical fungicides and bactericides in the same tank or on the same day. Keep a 7-day gap.
• Tank-mixing with any chemical without checking with our team.
• Do not use in mushroom units. Trichoderma causes green mould in mushroom beds.

7 Common Mistakes That Make Trichoderma Fail

1. Applying on dry soil. No moisture, no growth.
2. Mixing with chemical fungicides. It kills the fungus instantly.
3. Storing packs in sun or a hot vehicle. Heat destroys spores.
4. Using an expired pack. Viable spore count drops over time.
5. Waiting until the crop is already wilting. Trichoderma prevents; it does not cure dead roots.
6. Mixing with fresh dung. Heat from fermentation kills it.
7. Skipping organic matter. Without FYM or compost, Trichoderma has nothing to feed on.

Why Farmers Choose BHOOMIKA®

BHOOMIKA® contains Trichoderma viride 1% WP. It controls root rot, damping-off, stem rot and wilt; improves soil microbial activity; and supports stronger roots. It works through seed treatment, root dipping, tuber treatment, soil broadcasting, drenching and foliar spray.

Varsha Bioscience has manufactured biological crop inputs in Hyderabad since 2003.

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