Fungi in the genus Trichoderma have been known since at least the
1920s for their ability to act as biocontrol agents against plant pathogens.
Until recently, the principal mechanisms for control have been assumed to
be those primarily acting upon the pathogens and included mycoparasitism,
antibiosis, and competition for resources and space. Recent
advances demonstrate that the effects of Trichoderma on plants, including
induced systemic or localized resistance, are also very important. These
fungi colonize the root epidermis and outer cortical layers and release
bioactive molecules that cause walling off of the Trichoderma thallus. At
the same time, the transcriptome and the proteome of plants are