Trichoderma species is:
(A) Free living fungi
(B) Very common in the root ecosystem
(C) Effective biocontrol agent
(D) Resistance to insects
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A), (B) and (C) only
Biocontrol means using living organisms to control plant diseases and pests in place of chemicals. Trichoderma is a fungus used in this way against plant pathogens.
(A) Free living fungi — Correct. Trichoderma species are fungi that live free in the soil, not as parasites.
(B) Very common in the root ecosystem — Correct. They are found widely around plant roots.
(C) Effective biocontrol agent — Correct. They are effective against several plant pathogens.
(D) Resistance to insects — Incorrect. Trichoderma acts against disease-causing pathogens, not insects. Insects are controlled by other agents, such as Bacillus thuringiensis and baculoviruses.
NCERT Extract:
Microbes as Biocontrol Agents – “… A biological control being developed for use in the treatment of plant disease is the fungus Trichoderma. Trichoderma species are free-living fungi that are very common in the root ecosystems. They are effective biocontrol agents of several plant pathogens.”