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ROLE OF CRUSTACEAN CHITIN, FUNGICIDES AND FUNGAL ANTAGONIST ON THE EFFICACY OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA IN PROTECTING CHILLI FROM ROOT ROT

VIQAR SULTANA, JEHAN ARA*, GULNAZ PARVEEN**, SYED EHTESHAMUL-HAQUE** AND VIQAR UDDIN AHMAD***

Abstract: Application of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium alone or with crustacean chitin, fungicides (benlate/captan) or Paecilomyces lilacinus (a biocontrol agent) significantly suppressed Macrophomina phaseolina, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani attacking roots of chilli. Paecilomyces lilacinus, an egg parasite of root knot and cyst nematodes, also caused significant suppression of root rot pathogens. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be less effective against M. phaseolina, but more effective against F. solani, than benlate and captan. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and P. lilacinus together on crustacean waste powder produced better plant growth than when used alone. The use of crustacean waste powder resulted in better plant growth than the use of pure chitin.

Biotechnology & Drug Development Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.

* Department of Food Science & Technology,
** Agricultural Biotechnology & Phytopathology, Laboratory, Department of Botany,
*** HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.