Maize is the main crop for Mexicans;however, it is affected by species of fungi causing ear rot. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of T. asperellum T11, T. harzianum T1 4 y T. longibrachiatum T1 40 on some ag...Maize is the main crop for Mexicans;however, it is affected by species of fungi causing ear rot. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of T. asperellum T11, T. harzianum T1 4 y T. longibrachiatum T1 40 on some agronomic variables of four maize genotypes. The seeds of the genotypes H-515, Zapata 7, and H-507 were treated with a suspension of Trichoderma spp. to 1 × 10<sup>8</sup> spores mL<sup>-1</sup>, using a control (untreated seed), and Benomyl as chemical control. The planting was in Morelos, in a completely random block design with a factorial arrangement. The ear rot was natural. Data were obtained at the end of the crop cycle and processed in SAS 9.4<sup><sup>®</sup></sup>. H-515 genotype had the greatest effect on the treatment of maize seeds with Trichoderma spp. (5.562 kg);T. asperellum T11 was the strain that stood out with a mean yield of 50 ears in an area of 16 m<sup>2</sup> of 4.904 kg, and control of 4.448 kg. Our results are an economic option for farmers to contemplate the use of Trichoderma and obtain its benefits.展开更多
Trichoderma spp. is a filamentous soil fungus known as an effective biocontrol agent of a range of important airborne and soilborne pathogens, it has universal distribution and economic importance. This article review...Trichoderma spp. is a filamentous soil fungus known as an effective biocontrol agent of a range of important airborne and soilborne pathogens, it has universal distribution and economic importance. This article reviewed the researches on biocontrol mechanism for plant diseases and application of Trichoderma spp., especially Trichoderma harzianum in recent years展开更多
Trichoderma spp. have been known for their strong abilities to produce extracellular enzymes, especially cellulases and glucanases by T. reesei, and also for their abilities to control plant pathogens. Most notably, a...Trichoderma spp. have been known for their strong abilities to produce extracellular enzymes, especially cellulases and glucanases by T. reesei, and also for their abilities to control plant pathogens. Most notably, a number of lines of evidence indicate that the agriculturally relevant strains are synergistic plant symbionts. As plant symbionts they possess the following characteristics: (a) they infect plant roots but cause the plant to restrict their growth to outer layers of the plant cortex (an exception is the recent discoveries of plant endophytic strains of Trichoderma and Gliocladium ), (b) they produce bioactive plant molecules in the zone of interaction that (c) induce localized systemic resistance to plant diseases and (d) systemic plant resistance to diseases that in some respects is similar to that induced by rhizobacteria, (e) they induce changes in plant proteomes, (f) increase plant growth and yield at least in part by enhancing root growth, and (g) they increase plant nutrient uptake. The increase in plant growth and yields is strongly interactive with plant genotype, at least in maize. There also are very significant increases in the knowledge of events that occur in mycoparasitism that in many respects have features in common with their interactions with plants. They are highly resistant to toxicants and have recently been shown to degrade cyanide and take up, and then degrade, metallocyanides. These discoveries allow new uses for the organisms in managed plant systems, including agriculture. For example, the induced systemic resistance system allows control of fungi, bacteria, Oomycetes and even one virus at sites temporally and spatially distant from the site of application. The abilities of the fungi to resist/degrade toxicants and increase plant growth indicate they will highly useful components in plant-microbe or microbe-only strategies for remediation of soil and water pollution. Finally, there are new uses of their enzyme systems for production of chitin degradation products for use as nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals.展开更多
Microbes that are beneficial to plants are used to enhance the crop growth,yield and are alternatives to chemical fertilizers.Trichoderma and Bacillus are the predominant plant growth-promoting fungi and bacteria.The ...Microbes that are beneficial to plants are used to enhance the crop growth,yield and are alternatives to chemical fertilizers.Trichoderma and Bacillus are the predominant plant growth-promoting fungi and bacteria.The objective of this study was select,characterize,and evaluate isolates of Trichoderma spp.and Bacillus spp.native from the northern region of Sinaloa,Mexico,and assess their effect on growth promotion in maize(Zea mays L.).In greenhouse conditions,four Trichoderma isolates and twenty Bacillus isolates,as well as two controls,were tested in a completely randomized design with three replicates.We selected the two best strains of Trichoderma and Bacillus:TB=Trichoderma asperellum,TF=Trichoderma virens,B14=Bacillus cereus sensu lato and B17=Bacillus cereus,which were evaluated in the field in a completely randomized blocks in factorial arrangement design with three replicates applying different rates of nitrogen fertilizer(0,150 kg N/ha,and 300 kg N/ha).Treatments 5(B17=B.cereus)and 11(TF=T.virens)both fertilized with 150 kg N/ha showed similar yields and they did not reveal significant differences from the treatments fertilized with 300 kg N/ha.This indicated that treatment 5(B17=B.cereus with 150 kg N/ha)and treatment 11(TF=T.virens with 150 kg N/ha)were efficient as growth promoters,by not showing significant differences in root volume and dry weight of foliage.The results indicated a reduction of 50% in the rate of nitrogen to fertilizer required for maize(Zea mays L.)crops.These microorganisms Trichoderma and Bacillus could be an alternative to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers in maize.展开更多
From over 800 fungal strains of Tri-choderma Spp. , 6 strains were foundto greatly inhibit the growing of Rhi-zocotonia solani, the pathogen of ricesheath blight in dual culture. Amongthem, strain T3 was the best anta...From over 800 fungal strains of Tri-choderma Spp. , 6 strains were foundto greatly inhibit the growing of Rhi-zocotonia solani, the pathogen of ricesheath blight in dual culture. Amongthem, strain T3 was the best antago-nist, which reduced the growing ofthe pathogen by 52.54% (Table 1).展开更多
Jute mallow is a nutritious leafy vegetable. The leaves are rich in proteins, vitamins and essential amino acids. Molecular characterization of Jute mallow with focus on improvement of leaf yield is scarcely reported....Jute mallow is a nutritious leafy vegetable. The leaves are rich in proteins, vitamins and essential amino acids. Molecular characterization of Jute mallow with focus on improvement of leaf yield is scarcely reported. In the present study, inter sequence simple repeats (ISSR) molecular markers were employed to assess genetic diversity and relationships of 83 accessions of Jute mallow from different parts of Africa and Asia conserved at the World Vegetable Center East and Southern Africa. A total of 89 bands were amplified by 8 ISSR primers. Number of polymorphic bands per primer ranged from 2 to 6 with an average of 2.75 bands per primer. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.390 to 0.760 with average of 0.53. Average Nei’s gene diversity (h) and Shannon’s information index (I) were 0.335 and 0.494 respectively. The highest pairwise genetic distance was 0.431 observed in a population from East Africa accessions. PC1 and PC2 axis explained 21.69% and 11.66% of the total variation respectively. UPGMA cluster analysis grouped the accessions into six main clusters at genetic similarity coefficient of 0.53 as standard value for classification. These results have important implications for jute mallow breeding and conservation.展开更多
Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is one of the most important fruits classified as exotic fruits imported into Cameroon. To have an inventory of its cultivation in Cameroon, a survey study was carried out among eight farms ...Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is one of the most important fruits classified as exotic fruits imported into Cameroon. To have an inventory of its cultivation in Cameroon, a survey study was carried out among eight farms of Fragaria spp. from January 2021 to February 2022. The plant was introduced in Cameroon in 2018. There are 13 varieties of Fragaria spp. currently cultivated. Among these 13 varieties, eleven are hybrids of Fragaria x ananassa (“Amiga”, “Amine”, “Camarosa”, “Chandler”, “Charlotte”, “Elsanta”, “Gariguette”, “Madame Moutot”, “Ostara”, “Ruby gem” and “San Andreas”), and two of the hybrids of Fragaria vesca (“Maestro” and “Mara des bois”). The cropping system, irrigation system, and type of fertilizers applied differ from one strawberry farm to another. Biofertilizers (such as mycorrhizal), inorganic and organic fertilizers are actually used to improve production. The potential annual production of strawberries from January 2021 to February 2022, estimated based on the survey data, was 21.216 tons for all growers. Among these eight production farms, the Lolodorf BIO Farm presents 6000 kg (six tons) of strawberries and 100,000 stolons (seedlings) produced, from seven varieties of Fragaria spp. cultivated, with 6 varieties which are hybrids variety Fragaria x ananassa (“Amiga”, “Amine”, “Chandler”, “Gariguette”, “Madame Moutot”, and “Ruby gem”), and one which is a hybrid of Fragaria vesca (“Mara des bois”). Certain diseases were also observed and recorded depending on the growing areas.展开更多
Resistant bacteria can be transmitted to humans through feces or contaminated meat from local chickens. Bacterial strains were isolated from the intestinal contents of 400 local chicken samples from various sales site...Resistant bacteria can be transmitted to humans through feces or contaminated meat from local chickens. Bacterial strains were isolated from the intestinal contents of 400 local chicken samples from various sales sites. These strains were then characterized using bacteriological and biochemical methods to identify resistant strains. In a study conducted in Ouagadougou, we systematically collected chicken fecal samples from 20 locations across the city, followed by isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. using specific enrichment and culture methods, as well as Escherichia coli. Bacterial strains were characterized using antibiotic resistance profiles were determined through agar diffusion tests, revealing sensitivity or resistance to a range of antibiotics based on established scientific criteria. The results showed that out of the 400 samples collected, 81.25% and 63.5% were contaminated by Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., respectively. Among these, 86.15% of identified Escherichia coli and 50.78% of Salmonella spp. displayed resistance to at least one tested antibiotic. Among 280 Escherichia coli isolates identified resistant to at least one antibiotic, 31.07% were resistant to cefotaxime (CTX), 20.35% to ceftazidime (CAZ), 21.07% to ceftriaxone (CTR), 75% to amoxicillin clavulanic acid (AMC), 23.57% aztreoname (ATM) and 27.14% were resistant to imipenem (IMP). In the case of the 129 Salmonella spp. isolates resistant to at least one tested antibiotic, 34.88% were resistant to CTX;41.08% to CAZ;35.65% to CTR, 92% to AMC, 39.53% to ATM and finally 47.28% were resistant to IMP. Our study revealed high prevalence of resistance in bacterial strains isolated from local chickens sold outdoors in Ouagadougou. These findings raise significant public health concerns, due to the possible transmission of these resistant strains to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat, thus complicating the treatment of bacterial infections.展开更多
Different from ribosomal genes, which contain highly conserved sequences that are detected in all organisms, the intergenic spacer of rDNA (IGS) appears to be the most rapidly-evolving spacer region. For this reason w...Different from ribosomal genes, which contain highly conserved sequences that are detected in all organisms, the intergenic spacer of rDNA (IGS) appears to be the most rapidly-evolving spacer region. For this reason we tested this region for phylogenetic studies. This report focuses on the study of IGS sequences of isolates belonging to Trichoderma section (T. viride, T. koningii, T. hamatum, T. erinaceus, T. asperellum) and Pachybasium section (T. harzianum, T. crassum, T. fasciculatum, T. oblongisporum, T. virens). Using the primer pair 28STD and CNS1, the Fast Start Taq DNA Polymerase (Roche), and a three temperature PCR protocol, products ranging from ca 1900 to 2400 bp were obtained from all tested isolates. The PCR product of 16 Trichoderma spp. isolates was cloned into a pGEM-TEeasy Vector (Promega) and sequenced. Based on a BLAST search we can conclude that the PCR product represents the whole IGS region. Multiple alignments of IGS sequences revealed two portions with different homology level. Portion A (ca 1660 bp) is the portion that contains 3’ end of 28S gene and is the more variable, while portion B (ca 830 bp), that contains the 3’ end of IGS region and the 5’ end of 18S gene, is the less variable. Comparing all sequences in region A 705 identical pairs occur out of 1704 total nucleotides (41.4%), while in region B identical pairs were 723 out of 832 total nucleotides (86.9%) . Sequence comparison of the two regions at intraspecific level (where it was possible) showed higher variability in region A (0.17%-6.8%) than in region B (0.0%-1.0%) . At interspecific level, performing all possible comparisons, the variability of region A (19.5%-52.7%) and B (0.8%- 16.9%). were significantly higher. Comparing sequences of species belonging to Trichoderma section variability of the two regions appears reduced if compared with that obtained from comparisons of species belonging to Pachybasium section. On the basis of sequence alignment, phylogenetic trees were obtained either with entire IGS, with region A, and with region B. Results of this analysis revealed that all isolates belonging to Trichoderma section grouped separately from isolates belonging to Pachybasium section. IGS region allowed us to group species according to their taxonomic position. The topology of the tree did not change substantially, varying in genetic distance only. Performing a GenBank search sequences representing the final portion of the IGS region of other fungal species were found, and we carried out a multiple alignment using also our sequences of Trichoderma spp. and Diaporthe helianthi. The phylogeny inferred from sequence alignment matched the generally accepted morphology-based classification and was identical to other molecular schemes at high taxonomic level. Data analysis was useful in establishing a broad-scale phylogeny of Ascomycota and was also useful in sorting them into statistically-supported clades. The tree showed that Trichoderma occurred in a well-supported terminal subclade of a larger clade that also contained other genera belonging to Hypocreales order. Sequence analysis of the Trichoderma spp. IGS region allowed us to design a specific PCR primer that was successfully used to amplify region A. The new reverse primer LCR2, that recognize all Trichoderma isolates, was identified in region B and confirmed for its specificity on the DNA of fungi belonging to other Ascomycota genera. Results obtained showed that IGS region seems to be an interesting and versatile tool for phylogenetic analysis, for resolving some taxonomic problems and for constructing specific primer useful for different purposes.展开更多
文摘Maize is the main crop for Mexicans;however, it is affected by species of fungi causing ear rot. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of T. asperellum T11, T. harzianum T1 4 y T. longibrachiatum T1 40 on some agronomic variables of four maize genotypes. The seeds of the genotypes H-515, Zapata 7, and H-507 were treated with a suspension of Trichoderma spp. to 1 × 10<sup>8</sup> spores mL<sup>-1</sup>, using a control (untreated seed), and Benomyl as chemical control. The planting was in Morelos, in a completely random block design with a factorial arrangement. The ear rot was natural. Data were obtained at the end of the crop cycle and processed in SAS 9.4<sup><sup>®</sup></sup>. H-515 genotype had the greatest effect on the treatment of maize seeds with Trichoderma spp. (5.562 kg);T. asperellum T11 was the strain that stood out with a mean yield of 50 ears in an area of 16 m<sup>2</sup> of 4.904 kg, and control of 4.448 kg. Our results are an economic option for farmers to contemplate the use of Trichoderma and obtain its benefits.
基金Supported by Chinese National Programs for High Technology Research and Development(2003AA241140)
文摘Trichoderma spp. is a filamentous soil fungus known as an effective biocontrol agent of a range of important airborne and soilborne pathogens, it has universal distribution and economic importance. This article reviewed the researches on biocontrol mechanism for plant diseases and application of Trichoderma spp., especially Trichoderma harzianum in recent years
文摘Trichoderma spp. have been known for their strong abilities to produce extracellular enzymes, especially cellulases and glucanases by T. reesei, and also for their abilities to control plant pathogens. Most notably, a number of lines of evidence indicate that the agriculturally relevant strains are synergistic plant symbionts. As plant symbionts they possess the following characteristics: (a) they infect plant roots but cause the plant to restrict their growth to outer layers of the plant cortex (an exception is the recent discoveries of plant endophytic strains of Trichoderma and Gliocladium ), (b) they produce bioactive plant molecules in the zone of interaction that (c) induce localized systemic resistance to plant diseases and (d) systemic plant resistance to diseases that in some respects is similar to that induced by rhizobacteria, (e) they induce changes in plant proteomes, (f) increase plant growth and yield at least in part by enhancing root growth, and (g) they increase plant nutrient uptake. The increase in plant growth and yields is strongly interactive with plant genotype, at least in maize. There also are very significant increases in the knowledge of events that occur in mycoparasitism that in many respects have features in common with their interactions with plants. They are highly resistant to toxicants and have recently been shown to degrade cyanide and take up, and then degrade, metallocyanides. These discoveries allow new uses for the organisms in managed plant systems, including agriculture. For example, the induced systemic resistance system allows control of fungi, bacteria, Oomycetes and even one virus at sites temporally and spatially distant from the site of application. The abilities of the fungi to resist/degrade toxicants and increase plant growth indicate they will highly useful components in plant-microbe or microbe-only strategies for remediation of soil and water pollution. Finally, there are new uses of their enzyme systems for production of chitin degradation products for use as nutraceuticals or pharmaceuticals.
文摘Microbes that are beneficial to plants are used to enhance the crop growth,yield and are alternatives to chemical fertilizers.Trichoderma and Bacillus are the predominant plant growth-promoting fungi and bacteria.The objective of this study was select,characterize,and evaluate isolates of Trichoderma spp.and Bacillus spp.native from the northern region of Sinaloa,Mexico,and assess their effect on growth promotion in maize(Zea mays L.).In greenhouse conditions,four Trichoderma isolates and twenty Bacillus isolates,as well as two controls,were tested in a completely randomized design with three replicates.We selected the two best strains of Trichoderma and Bacillus:TB=Trichoderma asperellum,TF=Trichoderma virens,B14=Bacillus cereus sensu lato and B17=Bacillus cereus,which were evaluated in the field in a completely randomized blocks in factorial arrangement design with three replicates applying different rates of nitrogen fertilizer(0,150 kg N/ha,and 300 kg N/ha).Treatments 5(B17=B.cereus)and 11(TF=T.virens)both fertilized with 150 kg N/ha showed similar yields and they did not reveal significant differences from the treatments fertilized with 300 kg N/ha.This indicated that treatment 5(B17=B.cereus with 150 kg N/ha)and treatment 11(TF=T.virens with 150 kg N/ha)were efficient as growth promoters,by not showing significant differences in root volume and dry weight of foliage.The results indicated a reduction of 50% in the rate of nitrogen to fertilizer required for maize(Zea mays L.)crops.These microorganisms Trichoderma and Bacillus could be an alternative to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers in maize.
文摘From over 800 fungal strains of Tri-choderma Spp. , 6 strains were foundto greatly inhibit the growing of Rhi-zocotonia solani, the pathogen of ricesheath blight in dual culture. Amongthem, strain T3 was the best antago-nist, which reduced the growing ofthe pathogen by 52.54% (Table 1).
文摘Jute mallow is a nutritious leafy vegetable. The leaves are rich in proteins, vitamins and essential amino acids. Molecular characterization of Jute mallow with focus on improvement of leaf yield is scarcely reported. In the present study, inter sequence simple repeats (ISSR) molecular markers were employed to assess genetic diversity and relationships of 83 accessions of Jute mallow from different parts of Africa and Asia conserved at the World Vegetable Center East and Southern Africa. A total of 89 bands were amplified by 8 ISSR primers. Number of polymorphic bands per primer ranged from 2 to 6 with an average of 2.75 bands per primer. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.390 to 0.760 with average of 0.53. Average Nei’s gene diversity (h) and Shannon’s information index (I) were 0.335 and 0.494 respectively. The highest pairwise genetic distance was 0.431 observed in a population from East Africa accessions. PC1 and PC2 axis explained 21.69% and 11.66% of the total variation respectively. UPGMA cluster analysis grouped the accessions into six main clusters at genetic similarity coefficient of 0.53 as standard value for classification. These results have important implications for jute mallow breeding and conservation.
文摘Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is one of the most important fruits classified as exotic fruits imported into Cameroon. To have an inventory of its cultivation in Cameroon, a survey study was carried out among eight farms of Fragaria spp. from January 2021 to February 2022. The plant was introduced in Cameroon in 2018. There are 13 varieties of Fragaria spp. currently cultivated. Among these 13 varieties, eleven are hybrids of Fragaria x ananassa (“Amiga”, “Amine”, “Camarosa”, “Chandler”, “Charlotte”, “Elsanta”, “Gariguette”, “Madame Moutot”, “Ostara”, “Ruby gem” and “San Andreas”), and two of the hybrids of Fragaria vesca (“Maestro” and “Mara des bois”). The cropping system, irrigation system, and type of fertilizers applied differ from one strawberry farm to another. Biofertilizers (such as mycorrhizal), inorganic and organic fertilizers are actually used to improve production. The potential annual production of strawberries from January 2021 to February 2022, estimated based on the survey data, was 21.216 tons for all growers. Among these eight production farms, the Lolodorf BIO Farm presents 6000 kg (six tons) of strawberries and 100,000 stolons (seedlings) produced, from seven varieties of Fragaria spp. cultivated, with 6 varieties which are hybrids variety Fragaria x ananassa (“Amiga”, “Amine”, “Chandler”, “Gariguette”, “Madame Moutot”, and “Ruby gem”), and one which is a hybrid of Fragaria vesca (“Mara des bois”). Certain diseases were also observed and recorded depending on the growing areas.
文摘Resistant bacteria can be transmitted to humans through feces or contaminated meat from local chickens. Bacterial strains were isolated from the intestinal contents of 400 local chicken samples from various sales sites. These strains were then characterized using bacteriological and biochemical methods to identify resistant strains. In a study conducted in Ouagadougou, we systematically collected chicken fecal samples from 20 locations across the city, followed by isolation and identification of Salmonella spp. using specific enrichment and culture methods, as well as Escherichia coli. Bacterial strains were characterized using antibiotic resistance profiles were determined through agar diffusion tests, revealing sensitivity or resistance to a range of antibiotics based on established scientific criteria. The results showed that out of the 400 samples collected, 81.25% and 63.5% were contaminated by Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., respectively. Among these, 86.15% of identified Escherichia coli and 50.78% of Salmonella spp. displayed resistance to at least one tested antibiotic. Among 280 Escherichia coli isolates identified resistant to at least one antibiotic, 31.07% were resistant to cefotaxime (CTX), 20.35% to ceftazidime (CAZ), 21.07% to ceftriaxone (CTR), 75% to amoxicillin clavulanic acid (AMC), 23.57% aztreoname (ATM) and 27.14% were resistant to imipenem (IMP). In the case of the 129 Salmonella spp. isolates resistant to at least one tested antibiotic, 34.88% were resistant to CTX;41.08% to CAZ;35.65% to CTR, 92% to AMC, 39.53% to ATM and finally 47.28% were resistant to IMP. Our study revealed high prevalence of resistance in bacterial strains isolated from local chickens sold outdoors in Ouagadougou. These findings raise significant public health concerns, due to the possible transmission of these resistant strains to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat, thus complicating the treatment of bacterial infections.
文摘Different from ribosomal genes, which contain highly conserved sequences that are detected in all organisms, the intergenic spacer of rDNA (IGS) appears to be the most rapidly-evolving spacer region. For this reason we tested this region for phylogenetic studies. This report focuses on the study of IGS sequences of isolates belonging to Trichoderma section (T. viride, T. koningii, T. hamatum, T. erinaceus, T. asperellum) and Pachybasium section (T. harzianum, T. crassum, T. fasciculatum, T. oblongisporum, T. virens). Using the primer pair 28STD and CNS1, the Fast Start Taq DNA Polymerase (Roche), and a three temperature PCR protocol, products ranging from ca 1900 to 2400 bp were obtained from all tested isolates. The PCR product of 16 Trichoderma spp. isolates was cloned into a pGEM-TEeasy Vector (Promega) and sequenced. Based on a BLAST search we can conclude that the PCR product represents the whole IGS region. Multiple alignments of IGS sequences revealed two portions with different homology level. Portion A (ca 1660 bp) is the portion that contains 3’ end of 28S gene and is the more variable, while portion B (ca 830 bp), that contains the 3’ end of IGS region and the 5’ end of 18S gene, is the less variable. Comparing all sequences in region A 705 identical pairs occur out of 1704 total nucleotides (41.4%), while in region B identical pairs were 723 out of 832 total nucleotides (86.9%) . Sequence comparison of the two regions at intraspecific level (where it was possible) showed higher variability in region A (0.17%-6.8%) than in region B (0.0%-1.0%) . At interspecific level, performing all possible comparisons, the variability of region A (19.5%-52.7%) and B (0.8%- 16.9%). were significantly higher. Comparing sequences of species belonging to Trichoderma section variability of the two regions appears reduced if compared with that obtained from comparisons of species belonging to Pachybasium section. On the basis of sequence alignment, phylogenetic trees were obtained either with entire IGS, with region A, and with region B. Results of this analysis revealed that all isolates belonging to Trichoderma section grouped separately from isolates belonging to Pachybasium section. IGS region allowed us to group species according to their taxonomic position. The topology of the tree did not change substantially, varying in genetic distance only. Performing a GenBank search sequences representing the final portion of the IGS region of other fungal species were found, and we carried out a multiple alignment using also our sequences of Trichoderma spp. and Diaporthe helianthi. The phylogeny inferred from sequence alignment matched the generally accepted morphology-based classification and was identical to other molecular schemes at high taxonomic level. Data analysis was useful in establishing a broad-scale phylogeny of Ascomycota and was also useful in sorting them into statistically-supported clades. The tree showed that Trichoderma occurred in a well-supported terminal subclade of a larger clade that also contained other genera belonging to Hypocreales order. Sequence analysis of the Trichoderma spp. IGS region allowed us to design a specific PCR primer that was successfully used to amplify region A. The new reverse primer LCR2, that recognize all Trichoderma isolates, was identified in region B and confirmed for its specificity on the DNA of fungi belonging to other Ascomycota genera. Results obtained showed that IGS region seems to be an interesting and versatile tool for phylogenetic analysis, for resolving some taxonomic problems and for constructing specific primer useful for different purposes.