AGUS SUYANTO*, HAMDANI AND AGNES TUTIK PURWANI IRIANTI
Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Panca Bhakti University, Jl. Kom Yos Sudarso, 78113
Pontianak, Indonesia
*(e-mail : agussuyanto@upb.ac.id; Contact : 0811574462)
(Received : April 15, 2022; Accepted : May 20, 2022)
ABSTRACT
The ability test of Trichoderma harzianum in inhibiting the growth of Phytophthora palmivora causing black
pod disease of cocoa was done both in the field and in the laboratory. The test was performed in vitro to
determine the antagonistic mechanism of T. harzianum in suppressing the growth of P. palmivora, a
pathogenic fungus causing black pod disease of cocoa and to obtain the most effective formulation of T.
harzianum for inhibiting the growth of the pathogenic fungus. Exploration method was pathogenic fungus
exploration, and laboratory testings : Koch’s postulates test, antagonism test and effectiveness test
were carried out. The results revealed that the antagonistic mechanism of T. harzianum against P. palmivora
was its surpassing at competition for nutrients, thus developing faster in occupying space and causing
inhibited growth of the pathogenic fungus. The antagonism test results showed that T. harzianum was
able to inhibit the growth of P. palmivora by 54.39% (good). Based on the results of the effectiveness test,
the formulation of T. harzianum with kaolin was considered the best formulation to inhibit the growth of
the pathogenic fungus in the tested fruit by 15.3%.
Key words : Black pod disease, effectiveness, Trichoderma harzianum, Phytophthora palmivora