The active ingredient is a special hybrid strain of a beneficial, naturally occurring fungus, Trichoderma harzianum, strain T-22, selected and improved in a microbial breeding program at Cornell. When placed in the soil with seeds or seedlings, this biological protectant is claimed to colonize the plant s root system 100 times better than its natural counterpart. The fungus feeds on substances given off by the roots rather than competing with the plant for nutrients. At the same time, it aggressively protects the plant s roots against invasion by fungi like Pythium, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia. Once the beneficial fungus has colonized the roots, the fungus will challenge and kill pathogenic fungi attempting to penetrate the roots and this translates into healthier plants and often better yields.
Diseases come and go.
Since weather conditions and pathogen levels differ from year to year, using T-22 may seem like a roll of the dice. In one plot, they were 4.6 bu. Gothenberg, NE, applied T-22 biological fungicide to alfalfa and was surprised by good plant survival in irrigated field corners acre for both corn and soybeans. Dr. David Pieczarka, BioWorks director of sales and marketing, says T-22 has proven to be beneficial in such crops as alfalfa, corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat, sweet corn, dry beans, potatoes, sugar beets and many vegetable crops. From Disease Growers have found promising results from using a biological fungicide developed at Cornell University - to protect crops from pathogenic fungi.