The Role of Trichoderma spp on Sustainable Estate Crops as Natural

Decomposting Agent

Erwin Irawan Permana, Sunarti, G. Lulus P.H.,

Balai Proteksi Tanaman Perkebunan Pontianak

Jl. Budi Utomo No. 57 Siantan Hulu, Pontianak Utara
Pontianak 78241
Telp. (0561) 883632, Fax. (0561) 882784
Email : bptpbun_kb@yahoo.co.id
erwin_permana@yahoo.com

Introduction
The composition of soil are, 45 % minerals, 25 % Waters, 25 % Air and the last 5 %
are organic matter. The organic soil component contains all the living creatures in the
soil and the dead ones in various stages of decomposition. An acre of living soil can
contain 900 pounds of earthworms, 2400 pounds of fungi, 1500 pounds of bacteria,
133 pounds of protozoa, 890 pounds of arthropods and algae, and even small
mammals in some cases (Pimentel, D. et al. 1995, in Taniwiryono 2011)

Waters

Minerals

Air

Organic Matter

Prof. Sudarsono from IPB, the benefit of using organic matters to the crop and
farmland are :
a. Organic matters makes a direct and indirect effects on the availability of the
minerals on topsoil. The direct effects such as mineralization of organic
matters. Indirect effects from organic matters are including :
- Supplying the nitrogene (N) through the fixation of N 2 from
atmosphere.
- Releasing phosphate from fixation process
- Bond the micro elements that needed for the plants
b. Influence the characteristics of the soil minerals such as ; structures, aeration,
permeability etc.
c. Increasing the strength of soil from erotion through more water bond and
create soil granulations.
d. Supplied energy to the organisms.
e. Positive things such as auxin for plant growth or negative things such as
toxification to the plants.
Trichoderma spp.
The genus of Trichoderma are based on several saprophytic fungi which is
commonly found on the soil, rotten woods and plants waste. Trichoderma are easy to
identified because its color of the spores are green. Rifai (1969), the genus of
Trichoderma divided into nine spesies, two of them are the Trichoderma harzianum
and Trichoderma koningii.
Knowing as biocontrol agents, Trichoderma also known as organic matters
decomposer. Trichoderma spp are very good cellulotic fungi which is able for
degradating organic materials such as lignin, chitin and others organic materials
aerobly.
Besides its function for decomposing organic materials, Trichoderma also can
role as soil fertilizer itself. Some isolates of Trichoderma able to grow and reach 1 m
beneath the topsoil, that means the plants can survive from dryness and more
effective on using chemical fertilizer. Inoculation of Trichoderma strain T-22 through

the corns, its shows that the corns needs less than 40% of nitrogene compared to
the corns without Trichoderma.

Trichoderma as Decomposer agent

Role Trichoderma as decomposer of wastes can be seen from the decomposition
activity of Uji Dekomposisi Kulit Buah Kakao conducted by BPTP Pontianak in 2010.
The experiment showed that T. koningii and T. harzianum with ratio of activator and
materials 1: 10

could decomposing

wastes of cocoa

at three months after

application. The process of decomposition caused by the two Trichoderma species

are going well and made cocoa wastes ingredient does not raw material again and
did not occur anaerobic compounds that produce odorless chemical compound that
is harmful to plants. Results analytical composting conducted by Laboratorium Tanah
Fakultas Pertanian Unversitas Tanjungpura showed that compost composting
wastes of cocoa using T. harzianum produced the highest levels of Phosporus than
the other treatments tested. The highest Phosporus levels sequentially obtained in
the testing of treatment T. harzianum (0.66%), EM4 (0.5%), T. koningii (0.48%),
natural compost (0.29%) and control (0.26%).
Besides decomposing cocoa wastes, Trichoderma has also been shown to
decompose eceng gondok into compost.

Trichoderma could be changed eceng

gondok with perfect decomposition with ratio of activator and materials 1: 10. The
experiment that conducted by BPTP Pontianak in 2007 resulted eceng gondok is
decomposed by T. koningii perfectly into compost and shrinkage of 60% by weight
from the original material while eceng gondok is decomposed using the T. viridae
shrinkage of the original weight by 72% from the original material in two months after
application.

Laboratorium Tanah Fakultas Pertanian Unversitas Tanjungpura

analysis resulted that eceng gondok compost with Trichoderma as activator have low
levels of phosphorous bombs but has a high potassium levels. The low P element
contained in the compost is presumably due to plant eceng gondok is a bit of an
element of P so that the composting of water hyacinth should be mixed with other
materials with rich P element such bone. High levels of potassium contained in the
compost is a benefit in terms of pest control as an element of K possess an
important function in strengthening the plant tissue and plants to make antibodies to
fight disease and drought (Simamora et al., 2006).
Effect of eceng gondok with decomposed by Trichoderma to control the pest
have tested by pepper namatode. The experiment resulted the treatment with eceng
gondok compost with Trichoderma koningii dan T. viridae as activator could

decreased sympthom of nematode attack of pepper 35.53% and 21.46%

respectively.
Utilization of eceng gondok is decomposed using Trichoderma as a fertilizer
and as pest controllers provide given the encouraging hope in West Kalimantan
where eceng gondok is a big problem in the rivers. Eceng gondok is growing very
rapidly is often close to rivers dam and need big cost to against it. Composting of
eceng gondok will need large raw materials can reduce the cost of the normalization
of the rivers are issued by the government.
Trichoderma role in sustainable estate crops
Trichoderma are ussualy role as biocontrol agents of common diseases on
estate crops. Rigidoporus lignisus