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BIOEFFICACY OF MICROBIAL ANTAGONISTS AGAINST
MACROPHOMINA PHASEOLINA ON SUNFLOWER
MUHAMMAD ANIS, M. WASEEM ABBASI AND M. JAVED ZAKI
Abstract: Seed treatment with biological control agents were found
successful in prevention of fungal diseases of crop plants. In the
present study, efficacy of microbial antagonists viz., Aspergillus
flavus Link, Paecilomyces variotii
Bainier,
Trichoderma viride
Pers., Rhizobium meliloti Dangeard and Bacillus
subtilis Ferdinand Cohn was evaluated for their effect on plant
growth promotion and against Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi)
Goid., the cause of root rot of sunflower (Helianthus annus L.).
In dual culture assays, all antagonists inhibited the growth of M.
phaseolina. Rhizobium meliloti and Bacillus subtilis
showed maximum inhibition in the growth of M. phaseolina. Seed
treatments with tested antagonists in blotting paper, test tube and pot
experiments, did not show any detrimental effect on germination of
sunflower seeds. On the other hand, in all the experiments seeds coating
with antagonists proved effective in protecting sunflower seeds from
root rot and significantly increased in root length and vigor index.
Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan
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