Trichoderma harzianum has proved a useful microorganism for:

Trichoderma harzianum has proved a useful microorganism for:
A gene transfer in higher plants
B biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens
C bioremediation of contaminated soils
D reclamation of wastelands

Detailed Solution

Trichoderma species are free-living fungi that are very common in the root ecosystems.
They are effective biocontrol agents of several plant pathogens.
Trichoderma harzianum grows over soil-borne pathogenic fungi (mycoparasitism), secretes enzymes such as chitinases and glucanases that dissolve their cell walls, and also produces antibiotics against them.
It is therefore used for the biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium.
Gene transfer in higher plants is done with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, not Trichoderma.
So Trichoderma harzianum is useful for the biological control of soil-borne plant pathogens.

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