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Trichoderma - Trichoderma is a genus of fungi in the Fungi Imperfecti, that has species known to be effective agents for biological control. Species of Trichoderma are common in soil, and in columns of discolored and decayed wood in trees with and without a symplast. Trichoderma species do not breakdown wood, they are not the common wood-decay fungi. Some species may slowly erode cellulose under optimum conditions. Trichoderma species are antagonistic to other soil fungi that are plant pathogens Rhizoctonia, Pythium, and other fungi that kill seedlings, the damping-off fungi. Trichiderma harzianum and T. viride are known to decrease the activity of decay- causing fungi in living trees. The experimentally inflicted wounds were inoculated with fresh cultures of T. harzianum along with glycerol. There was less decayed wood associated with treated wounds than controls for 2 years. After 2 years, the decay- causing fungi began to cause more decay. When Trichoderma was inoculated in the winter, there was no beneficial effect over the control. When spores were added to wounds, the spores did not germinate. The fungus grew into the wood slowly. Trichoderma harzianum was highly tolerant to phenol-based substances in wood. Species of Trichoderma are usually contact mycoparasites; they must contact their hosts. There are no data to show that they have an effect on other fungi at a distance.