Biodiversity of Trichoderma strains in Tunisia.

Trichoderma strains were sampled in 4 different bioclimatic zones of Tunisia, a Mediterranean North African country with strong climatic and edaphic variability from north to south, to assess the genetic diversity of endemic species of Trichoderma and their relationship to the bioclimatic zones. In all, 53 strains were isolated and identified at the species level by analysis of their internal transcribed spacers regions 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) of the rDNA cluster and (or) a fragment of the translation elongation factor 1 (tef1) gene, using an online interactive key for species identification in Trichoderma and ex-type strains and taxonomically established isolates of Trichoderma as references. At least 2 different species were observed in each ecosystem. Trichoderma harzianum clade VI and Trichoderma longibrachiatum were present in forest soils in north Tunisia; Trichoderma atroviride and Trichoderma hamatum were found in cultivated fields in northeast Tunisia; T. harzianum clade VI, a Trichoderma sp. close to the T. harzianum complex, and Trichoderma saturnisporum were isolated from forest soils in central Tunisia; and T. harzianum clade II and T. hamatum were present in oasis soils in south Tunisia.