Trichoderma in the Maltese Islands

This study assessed presence of Trichoderma spp. in the Maltese Islands. Isolates were identified using dichotomous keys and DNA barcoding. Ten distinct isolates were obtained from different soils and other substrates, and were identified as T. virens, T. citrinoviride, T. gamsii, and, in the former T. harzianum species complex, T. breve, T. afroharzianum and T. atrobrunneum. Five out of these six fungi are reported for the first time in the Maltese Islands, and T. brevis is reported for the first time in Europe.