Evaluation of fungal and bacterial bioagents against Rhizoctonia solani on Solanum melongena (L.)

Abstract

Three fungal and one bacterial bioagents were tested for efficacy against Rhizoctonia solani under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Organisms including native isolates of Trichoderma virens 7109, Paecilomyces lilacinus 7115, Aspergillus niger and Pseudomonas strain were investigated in different combinations to get effective antagonists. T. virens 7109 and A. niger significantly reduced the growth of R. solani under laboratory and field conditions, respectively. Fungal combination had stimulatory effect on total fungal population and was recorded the highest (25.04 × 10⁴ cfu/g soil) in T. virens 7109 + P. lilacinus 7115 combination. Soil treatments with individual bioagents have shown uniformity in disease suppression when compared to combinations. Treatment with combination of bioagents yielded higher fruit harvest when compared to that with single bioagent.

Keywords:

• bioagents
• total fungal population
• antagonism
• growth promotion