Cornelius Oosthuizen
Marketing & Technical Manager

At Koppert, we believe in getting to the root of farming challenges and working with nature to find sustainable solutions. Healthy plants and a good harvest start with healthy roots and if you are looking for proven plant growth promotion and crop resilience, Trianum is your answer.

Trianum plays an important role in making a wide variety of plants more productive and resilient to biotic and abiotic stress. Using Trianum maximizes the establishment of beneficial fungi in the root system. This helps to protect the plant from soil-borne diseases while improving crop health, seedling emergence, and uniformity.

The winning strain

The T-22-strain in Trianum has been extensively studied by groups of scientists from around the world and is a hybrid of two complementary strains that make a winning formula. One of the strains is a very competent root coloniser, and the other is an effective disease controller.

As a result, Trianum offers a competitive root coloniser that establishes itself around the roots and protects it against diverse pathogens. Trianum has 2 formulations: Trianum P – soluble powder, and Trianum-G – fine granular.

Trianum-G specifically is a uniquely formulated product for the South African market. What makes it so unique? Trianum-G is a fine granular formulation that makes it easy to apply by hand or through seed planters. Application can be done even into dry soil or potting media days in advance.

Trianum-G increases the resistance of plants against stress caused by diseases, sub-optimal feeding and watering regimes, or climatic conditions. Trianum-G also helps to increase nutrient uptake. This can enhance the growth and development of roots and above-ground plant parts.

How does Trianum-G work?

Trianum contains spores of the beneficial fungus Trichoderma harzianum strain T-22. If Trianum is applied correctly, it develops mycelia, which grows along the roots and protects the roots of the crop against diseases such as:

• Fusarium
• Pythium
• Rhizoctonia
• Sclerotinia

Trianum-G works on the basis of the following mechanisms:

1. Competition for space

Trianum grows faster on the surface of the root than other soil-borne fungi. Other fungi get no chance to establish themselves on the roots. Trianum outcompetes other strains by colonising and establishing faster on the root of the plant.

2. Competition for nutrients

By establishing on the root of the plant there is no nutrient source available for other fungi to survive in the rhizosphere.

3. Parasitism of pathogens

Trianum grows around the mycelia of the pathogen. The cell walls break down and the pathogen dies. Trianum is a hyperparasite that grows around the mycelia of the pathogen, excretes enzymes that deteriorate the cell walls, and eliminated the pathogens.

4.  Strengthening of the plant

Trianum improves the root system through the formation of more root hairs so that water and nutrients can be absorbed better. This leads to better yields of a stronger and more uniform crop. The difference is particularly notable when the plant is under stress and/or cultivated under less than optimum growing conditions.

5.  Induced resistance

Trianum also reinforces the natural defence mechanism within the plants when exposed to Trianum colonisation. The induced systemic resistance (ISR) is activated leading to a stronger and healthier plant that is more difficult to infect.

6. Absorption of fixed and non-fixed nutrients

Nutritional elements such as certain trace elements and phosphates are sometimes fixed in the soil, and therefore cannot be absorbed by the plant.

This particularly happens in soil with a higher level of acidity (i.e., with a lower pH). Phosphates often form compounds with calcium, iron, or other trace elements, and as a result, they are no longer soluble. Trianum has the capacity to make certain “fixed” nutrients available for the plant to absorb.

Certain elements, such as manganese, are essential for the plant to protect it against diseases. Manganese is important for the natural defence of the plant against diseases. Trianum also produces certain substances which, amongst other effects, change iron from Fe3+ into a plant-available Fe2+.

Application of Trianum-G

Trianum-G mixes easily with potting compost or can be dispersed mechanically over the soil/furrow using a granule spreader.

Mixing with potting compost:

Trianum can be added to the compost mix on-site or delivered pre-mixed by a specialist growing media company. This second option has the following advantages:

• Labour-saving; and
• Optimum distribution of Trichoderma spores in the potting compost.

Dispersing on the soil or in-furrow by granule spreader:

Apply the Trianum-G granules close to the seeds or roots. Trianum-G granules are small (300 to 700 microns). For that reason, it is advised to apply it as close to the seeds or soil as possible to limit wind influence (blowing away of the granules).

Make sure that the Trianum-G granules flow smoothly through the tube system of the granulators (avoid curves in the tubes).

Best working conditions for Trianum-G Use Trianum-G as a preventative method. To achieve optimal results, start Trianum-G application at the beginning of the crop cycle, preferable during sowing, planting/ transplanting, and on cuttings.

Trianum-G performs well under different environmental conditions. It grows in various climates (10 °C to 34 °C), at a pH between 4 to 8, in many types of cultivation media, and on the roots of many different types of crops.

Trianum-G is available in 20 kg

• No-dust granule
• Convenient incorporation into planting media and furrows.
• Allows for even distribution through planting
• Used at planting