Efficacy of the bioagents Bacillus isolates and Trichoderma spp. in the control of wilt/root-rot disease in chickpea

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the ability of four microorganisms to reduce disease infection of root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus spp.) and Fusarium spp. the causal agent of wilt/root-rot disease complex in chickpea.

Design/methodology/approach

A pot experiment was conducted for three consecutive winter seasons. A completely randomized design with five replicates was adopted. Two Bacillus isolates and Trichoderma harzianum and T. viride and their combinations were applied in infected soil. The effect on plant growth parameters, disease incidence and severity, root necrosis, weight of shoot and root, nematode population density and reproductive index were assessed.

Findings

The applications significantly (p=0.05) reduced the wilt/root-rot diseases complex. The reduction was attributed to the decline of the population density of nematodes in soil and root, and the suppression of the disease complex compared to controls, represented by reproductive index and the disease intensity index. Combinations were better than individual inoculation. The use of Bacillus isolate B3 and T. harzianum increased the number of flowers by 88.34 per cent. Reduction in the severity of root necrosis was in the range of 2.22-5.55 within a scale of 1-10. These findings indicate the significance of utilizing local bioagents for control of wilt/root-rot disease complex in chickpea plants.

Originality/value

The microorganisms used in this study are indigenous.

Citation

Mudawi, H.I. and Idris, M.O. (2015), "Efficacy of the bioagents Bacillus isolates and Trichoderma spp. in the control of wilt/root-rot disease in chickpea", World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 303-314. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJSTSD-10-2015-0051