Development of a Mechanical Trichoderma harzianum Soil Injector for Banana (Musa acuminate)

Abstract

Trichoderma harzianum is an antagonistic fungus and is widely recognized as a potential biological control agent against several soil-borne plant pathogens. Traditionally it was applied using basal or digging method.  These are laborious, time consuming and low application accuracy. To improve these conditions, a mechanical soil injector was developed and evaluated. The fabricated prototype is 3 ft long and has a 1-inch diameter stainless injector. It weighs approximately 17 kilograms including the 16-liters backpack sprayer. The factor affecting the soil injection capacity was the pump power requirement. The volume of solution dispenses by the soil injector and field capacity was determined. The prototype was compared to digging and basal application method. Results showed that the prototype’s average solution discharge ranges from 10-34 mL/sec having a field capacity of 424-890 plants/hour. Compared with the existing application method, it can deliver Trichoderma harzianum five times faster and has a marginal benefit cost ratio (MBCR) of 1.30.