<i>Trichoderma</i> Production and Encapsulation Methods for Agricultural Applications

Abstract

Trichoderma is one of the most widely used microorganisms in the biological control of plant pathogens. The techniques for its formulation are well known and are commercially distributed in both solid and liquid presentations based on formulations of its reproductive structures. Currently, agricultural systems integrate this type of fungus as an alternative for sustainable production, and even though its traditional formulation still has important limitations, it has a high potential to be combined with new technologies for the development and innovation of products that improve their effectiveness. In response to this, micro- and nanotechnology are presented as alternatives to technify bioagents, promoting greater resistance, viability, and dissemination for both biomass and metabolites through encapsulation and smart delivery techniques. Some works have been developed to achieve this, especially using ionic gelation, with good results for agriculture. In this work, some generalities of the organism are mentioned, including its most common formulations for agricultural applications, information related to encapsulation systems, and the potential for improvement of biologics represented by biomass microencapsulation.

Keywords

• biological control
• micro- and nanotechnology
• bioagent
• encapsulation