Evaluation of Fungal and Bacterial Antagonists for Managing Phytopathogen Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans Sheldon, Causing Pokkah Boeng Disease of Sugarcane

In the present investigation potential fungal and bacterial antagonists were tested under laboratory and field conditions against the phytopathogen Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans Sheldon, causing Pokkah Boeng disease of sugarcane. Different strains of fungal anatagonists viz; Trichoderma spp. (strains TCMS36, TCMS43, Th3, TCMS9, Th14) and bacterial antagonists viz; Pseudomonas fluorescens (strains Psf173 and Psf02) and Bacillus sp. were tested against the pathogen under in vitro conditions by employing dual culture technique and volatile assay. The results from dual culture revealed that TCMS36 showed the maximum radial growth inhibition i.e., 73.33 per cent followed by Th14 (69.01%), Psf02 (68.33%), Th3(66.04%),TCMS43 (64.7%), Bacillus sp. (63.95%) and TCMS9(63.74%). Volatile assay depicted that the maximum radial growth inhibition was found in TCMS36(70.01%) followed by TCMS9 (60.10%), Th3 (57.25%), Th14 (55.36%), Psf02 (50.83%) and Bacillus sp. (51.79%), while minimum growth inhibition was observed in Psf173 (40.49%). Further studies were conducted in field, where, Th 14, Psf02 and the consortium of both (Th 14+Psf 02) were tested through sett treatment. The minimum disease incidence was observed in the treatment where setts were treated with P. fluorescens (Psf02) followed by consortium (Th 14+Psf 02) and Th 14 i.e. 0.92%, 1.51% and 5.53%, respectively. The findings from research conclude that the fungal and bacterial antagonist strains can exert an inhibitory effect on the radial growth of Fusarium sp. as well as reduce the disease incidence in field. Application of these antagonists in field could be a better management tool without having to depend on hazardous chemicals.