EFFECT OF MICROBIAL ANTGONISTS AND CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS IN THE CONTROL OF MACROPHOMINA PHASEOLINA (TASSI) GOID. ON SUNFLOWER
Abstract
An experiment was carried out in the green house of Botany Department to investigate the effect of microbial antagonists and chemical fertilizers for the control of Macrophomina phaseolina on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Plant length was significantly (p<0.01) increased in all treatments where soil was amended with chemical fertilizers and seeds were coated with microbial antagonists. Larger plant length and weight was obtained when soil was treated with Ammonium nitrate alone and Potassium sulphate in combination with Trichoderma viride or reesei followed by DAP in combination with Rhizobium meliloti. The colonization of M. phaseolina was completely inhibited when soil was treated with urea, DAP, potassium sulphate, ammonium nitrate and urea in combination with T. viride and ammonium nitrate in combination with R. meliloti. Significant (p<0.001) reduction in colonization of M. phaseolina was observed when soil was amended with urea and DAP and seeds were treated with T. reesei followed by urea in combination with R. meliloti and DAP with R. meliloti.
