What Is Trichoderma

• With cannabis cultivation rapidly expanding throughout the world, new natural resources have become available that are of great benefit to the plant.
• There are many mushrooms that are poisonous to humans, but there are an equal number of beneficial fungi that can fight them.
• The purpose of this post is to give a comprehensive overview of the many benefits of Trichoderma, a beneficial fungus.

Synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides are currently used frequently to combat issues with cannabis plants. Although these products are very useful, they also happen to be toxic to the environment and cause long-term damage.

Although it provides companies with many economic benefits, we need to find more environmentally-friendly solutions because the massive use of these chemical products is detrimental. We should take the time to learn about natural resources that often go undiscovered yet have fantastic properties that work in harmony with nature.

What is Trichoderma?

Trichoderma species are beneficial fungi that help crops by fighting off a wide range of pathogens while also boosting plant growth and yield. It’s a wonderful gift from nature!

Trichoderma is a genus of fungi that contains around twenty species of cellulolytic fungi. The fungi can vary in color, from white to yellow to green, depending on their development stage. Trichoderma is fibrous in texture, similar to cellulose.

This fungus creates a symbiotic relationship with the soil and plants.

The first publication discussing Trichoderma was in the early ’30s. People already knew about its antibiotic properties and how it could be used for biological control. However, products containing Trichoderma didn’t appear on the market until the ’80s.

The most popular species was “Trichoderma Harzanium T22”, marketed in 1996 by an American company known for their cutting-edge research work relating to biological control. These investigations wouldn’t have been possible without the collaboration of Cornell University. Trichoderma Harzanium is still the most widely utilized species for biological control today.

Trichoderma species and strains of rhizosphere, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, streptomyces or Enterobacteria have a symbiotic relationship that is beneficial to both. These living microorganisms trigger a series of mechanisms that result in heightened resistance to disease and increased size and yields.

Trichoderma is a type of fungus that commonly lives in soil and decaying plant matter. It feeds on essential nutrients like nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus, and potassium. Plus its ability to adapt to differentlevels of acidity makes it suitable for almost any kind of environment. This makes Trichoderma very effective for full-spectrum biological control measures.

How to use Trichoderma in cannabis cultivation

Various explanations make Trichoderma especially compelling when growing marijuana:

It destroys pathogens

Trichoderma is effective in combating a series of fungal infections or harmful fungi. The attack can be carried out through three distinct mechanisms:

• Mycoparasitism: The antagonist Trichoderma effectively colonizes and attacks hyphae by producing cell-wall enzymes that function as antibiotics against harmful fungi.
• Antibiosis: Trichoderma to fungi is like an antibiotic that kills the young hyphae. Trichoderma Viride specifically does this by producing long-distance fungistatic compounds, and Trichoderma Harzianum inhibits Botrytis Cinerea and Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum sclerotia from growing.
• Nutritional concurrence, related to rapid colonization of any medium: Trichoderma is a powerful fungi that can not only survive, but thrive in conditions with low levels of nutrients, which isn’t very common among other fungal species.

The three mechanisms below not only show the vast possibilities that Trichoderma offers, but also its efficacy. In a short amount of time, Trichoderma creates a barrier around roots in the rhizosphere to stop pathogens from appearing or taking hold while simultaneously promoting the growth of food resources (nutrients) that these plants need. Once again, nature has shown us its wisdom.

It favours plant growth

Trichoderma not only stimulates plant growth but also favors soil life and optimizes root health, including the small side roots that contribute to developing healthy cannabis plants. The immune system becomes stronger due to the full-spectrum protective action of these beneficial fungi.

The absorption capacity of every plant is perfectly functional, especially since Trichoderma improves the uptake of nutrients (by solubilization) such as nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, iron or copper.

Not only does this increase the growth of roots, but also allows for a deeper rooting. This is important because the root mass plays a major role in the growth and health of marijuana plants, as previously stated in another post.

Most people don’t know this, but a plant’s roots play a crucial role in its development. Just like our digestive system helps us break down food and absorb nutrients, the root system is responsible for feeding cannabis plants and helping them evolve and grow.

It boosts flower and terpene production

Like any other living thing, a healthy plant will respond positively to the best conditions throughout its life cycle. If a plant has a strong immune system and is surrounded by optimal conditions, it is sure to produce superior results.

In order to have a bountiful cannabis harvest that is rich in resin and terpenes, there must be no obstacles along the way. Trichoderma increases the production of phytoalexins, which are antimicrobial compounds typically found as phenol compounds (similar to terpenoids, flavonoids or stilbenes).

When nutrients are metabolized and absorbed quickly, it allows for plants to grow faster and more vigorously. This results in better quality yields that affect the entire chain down from the farmer to the consumer.

Some useful products

Repotting your plants? Be sure to use a trusted biological product like Strartrex by Bio Tabs. By starting organic from the very beginning, you’re giving your cannabis plants the best chance to grow into healthy, mature adults.