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Pak. J. Bot., 48(3): 1305-1311, 2016.

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COMBINED EFFECT OF SOIL AMENDMENT WITH OIL CAKES AND SEED PRIMING IN THE CONTROL OF ROOT ROT FUNGI OF LEGUMINOUS AND NON-LEGUMINOUS CROPS

HIRA RAFI¹, SHAHNAZ DAWAR^1* AND MARIUM TARIQ²

Abstract: Organic amendments of soil help in proper aeration, rising of temperature and water holding capacity which results in better uptake of nutrients with root system gets extensive establishment. In this study, effects of soil amendment with oil seed cakes including mustard (Brassica campestris L.), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), almond (Prunus amygdalus L.) and black seed (Nigella sativa L.) cakes @ 0.1 and 1% w/w and priming of seeds with Acacia nilotica (L.) Willd. ex Delile  and Sapindus mukorossi (L.) leaves extracts and microbial antagonists (Trichoderma harzianum and Rhizobium melilotii) was observed on the growth of plants and in the suppression of root infecting fungi. The results obtained showed that combined effect of bio-priming of seeds with T. harzianum spore suspension and amendment of soil with mustard cake @ 1% was found to be most effective for the growth of leguminous and non-leguminous crop plants (peanut, chickpea, okra and sunflower) and for the reduction of root infecting fungi like Macrophomina phaseolina, Fusarium spp followed by R. meliloti primed seeds in combination with cotton, almond and black seed cakes amendment respectively as compared to control (non treated seeds and soil).

Key words: Seed priming, Oil seed cakes, Root infecting fungi, Leguminous and non-leguminous crops
 

¹Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.

M.A.H. Qadri Biological Research Centre, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.

^*Corresponding author e-mail: shahnaz_dawar@yahoo.com