Bacillus firmus as Bio-controlling Agent for Seed-borne and Nursery Pathogens of Forest Tree Species

Antagoistic bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from different forest areas of Jabalpur, Mandla, Umaria and Bilaspur. One antagonistic bacteria Bacillus firmus was isolated from the soil of Belkund teak forest nursery, Kundam Project, Forest Development Corporation, Jabalpur. To study its effectiveness against pathogen associated with leguminous seeds eleven days old culture of B. firmus was applied to the the seeds of Albiziaprocera, A. lebbek, Dalbergia sissoo and Acacia nilotica and was compared with culture of the bio-agent Trichoderma viride and fungicides namely Indofil and Bavistin 0.2%. The seeds treated with the culture of B. firmus did not show any fungal flora during germination and at the same time per cent emergence of treated seedlings was also high. The suspension of B. firmus was also applied to one month old seedlings of A. procera and A. lebbek inoculated with Fusarium oxysporum causing post emergence damping off disease in these seedlings. The experimental finding shows that the seedlings of A. procera and A. lebbek inoculated with B.firmus did not show any mortality, which proved that the application of B. firmus could be used as bio-controlling agent against post-emergence damping off disease inforest nurseries.