Botryodiplodia sp. - Crops for the Future

10 Conclusion
The results of the present study are showing that Trichoderma sp. are widely available in Sri
Lanka and that some of those can be used as bio-control agents. SIVAKUMAR et al. (2000)
isolated Trichoderma sp. from rambutan plantations and proved their antagonistic effects
against Botryodiplodia theobromae as well.
Only one of the bio-control agent (Bmu I) isolated from the surroundings of an Annona
muricata tree was able to control the pathogen Bsq IV completely. This organism was
isolated from a red skinned Annona squamosa. Consequently it seems that the Bio-control
agent Bmu I is the most effective of all the BC-agents which were isolated for the
experiments.
The results of the cross-inoculation experiment show that cross infections between rambutan
und annona fruits can appear both in the field and during transportation and storage. Thus it is
to recommend that these fruits should not be transported or stored together. It also underlines
the importance of the site selection of new plantations for both fruits.
The isolated Trichoderma sp. should be tested in further studies in field experiments or in in
vivo studies. For this, the BC-agent could be mixed into the soil or applied directly on the
plant or fruit.
According to BRIMMER and BOLAND (2003) some Trichoderma sp. can have negative effects
on other useful organisms. This should be investigated in further studies as well.
11 Acknowledgement
I would like to thank the GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit) for
supporting my stay in Sri Lanka by giving me a scholarship and Prof. Dr. Joachim Heller
from the University of Applied Sciences of Geisenheim for his support.
Furthermore I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Hannah Jaenicke, director of
ICUC and Dr. Shanthi Wilson Wijeratnam, Manager of the Post Harvest Technology Group
of ITI for giving me the possibility to attend my BPS in Sri Lanka.
I am indebted to the whole Post Harvest Technology Group and to the ICUC team for giving
me a very warm and hearty welcome in a complete new surrounding.
I would like to give sincere thankfulness to Mrs. Nimali Abeyratne, senior officer of ITI and
to Miss. Yashoda Dharmatilaka for their great encouragement during my work at ITI.
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