Abstract
Trichoderma harzianum strain FA 1132 has shown potential as a biological control agent of Ganoderma boninense, the causal pathogen of basal stem rot (BSR) of oil palms based on previous nursery trials. This study investigates the suitability of the -agrowaste slurry palm oil mill effluents (pome) as a feedstock for the possible mass production of strain FA 1132, with mycelial yield taken as the indicator of the biomass production. Results showed that the best growth of FA 1132 in pome was at 1:3 parts dilution to water, which gave a yield that was statistically comparable to its growth in the laboratory media Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) and Richard's Solution. Production of the mycelial biomass increased by 141.25% when 1:3 pome was supplemented with sucrose. When supplemented with glucose, the best biomass yield was obtained from the 1:1 diluted pome, which gave a 217.99% yield increase. Thus, pome offers a potential as a feedstock for the biomass production of FA 1132, with the mycelial yield being significantly enhanced when the media was supplemented with sucrose or glucose as a carbon source.
