Trichoderma dalam Pertanian Berkelanjutan: Mekanisme, Aplikasi sebagai Agen Biokontrol dan Tantangan Masa Depan

Abstract

Modern agriculture faces serious challenges due to the increasing incidence of plant diseases, which negatively impactproductivity and yield quality. While synthetic chemical pesticides remain effective in controlling pests, they may lead to pathogen resistance, environmental pollution, hazardous residues, and ecosystem disruption. One promising biological agent is Trichoderma, which acts as a biocontrol agent through various mechanisms, such as competition for space and nutrients, mycoparasitism, production of hydrolytic enzymes, and antibiosis. Furthermore, Trichoderma can induce plant resistance through the Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) mechanism, which involves jasmonic acid and ethylene signaling pathways, there by enhancing plant responses to pathogen attacks. In addition, the interaction between Trichoderma and plants contributes to improved root growth and development through the production of bioactive metabolites and increased nutrient availability. Trichoderma functions not only as a biological control agent but also as a growth promoter and plant resistance enhancer, thus demonstrating great potential in supporting sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural systems.