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EFFICACY OF WILD PLANT IN COMBINATION WITH MICROBIAL ANTAGONISTS FOR THE CONTROL OF ROOT ROT FUNGI ON MUNGBEAN AND COWPEA

NAHEED IKRAM AND SHAHNAZ DAWAR*

Abstract: Present work was carried out to investigate the efficacy of Aerva javanica in combination with different microbial antagonists namely Rhizobium meliloti, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Trichoderma harzianum and Aspergillus niger. Soil amended with A. javanica stem, leaves, flower powder @1% w/w and seeds of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) were coated with microbial antagonists for the control of root infecting fungi like Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid,  Fusarium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani Kühn. Infection of M. phaseolina and R. solani were completely suppressed when seeds were coated with P. aeruginosa, T. harzianum, A. niger, R. meliloti and A. javanica leaves powder mixed in soil @1% w/w. All antagonists showed reduction in combination with A. javanica leaves powder @1% but T. harzianum and P. aeruginosa in combination with A. javanica  leaves showed promising results in complete reduction of R. solani and M. phaseolina  on both crops. All growth parameters were maximum when soil was amended with A. javanica leaves powder @1% w/w and seeds were coated with T. harzianum and P. aeruginosa.

Key words: Organic amendment; Microbial antagonists; Aerva  javanica, Vigna unguiculata, Vigna radiate.

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

*Corresponding author email: shahnaz_dawar@yahoo.com