Abstract

Sustainable agriculture increasingly relies on eco-friendly and biocontrol strategies, and this study aimed to screen Trichoderma isolates for cellulase and protease activity associated with plant growth promotion and disease suppression. The present study was conducted to evaluate the enzymatic potential of several Trichoderma isolates collected from distinct agroclimatic zones of India. The results revealed substantial inter-isolate variation in cellulase and protease activity. Isolate PBT (Punjab Trichoderma) 13 recorded higher protease activity and cellulase activity, whereas isolates such as PBT1 and PBT21 exhibited relatively lower enzymatic activity. This study provides region-specific evidence on the qualitative variability of cellulase and protease activity among Trichoderma isolates, highlighting enzyme-based screening as a practical preliminary approach for biocontrol selection. The observed inter-isolate differences in cellulase and protease activity reflect ecological adaptation and highlight the importance of enzymatic screening for the preliminary selection of promising Trichoderma isolates with potential application in sustainable plant disease management.

Key words: biocontrol, bioformulation, cellulase, enzyme index, protease, rhizosphere colonization, Trichoderma