Strategies for large scale inoculum development for solid state fermentation system: Conidiospores of Trichoderma harzianum

Summary The suitability of disc fermenter for efficient production of conidiospores by Trichoderma harzianum is limited to a working capacity of 0.61 agar medium due to large decrease in spore production per cm² of the culture surface area with further increase in the capacity. In contrast, Zymotis, a large scale solid state fermenter designed at ORSTOM, France and use of inert solid support for absorbing nutrients offer many advantages for production of conidiospores in quantity sufficient enough to inoculate pilot and larger fermenters. Five times higher production of conidiospores in Zymotis, as compared to the agar medium in flask, constitutes a success in the development of large scale inoculum.