Evaluation of Micronutrients, Botanicals, Bioagents and Fungitoxicants against Bipolaris sorokiniana Causing Spot Blotch Disease in Wheat

Abstract

Investigations were conducted during the rabi (November–April), 2021–22 and 2022–23 at the Bio-control Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, SVPUAT, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India to assess the effects of micronutrients, botanicals, bioagents and fungitoxicants against Bipolaris sorokiniana causing spot blotch disease in wheat. Using the poison food technique; 7 micronutrients (manganese sulphate, zinc sulphate, ferrous sulphate, boron, sulphur, molybdenum, and calcium chloride), 4 botanicals (extracts of garlic clove, tulsi leaf, neem leaf, and mentha leaf), 4 bioagents (Pseudomonas fluorescens and three strains: SV-7, SV-28, and IRRI-1 of Trichoderma harzianum) and 6 fungitoxicants (azoxystrobin, difenoconazole, propiconazole, tebuconazole, azoxystrobin+tebuconazole, carbendazim+mancozeb) were assessed. The inoculation plates were incubated at 25±1 0C until the fungus covered the control plate completely. After incubation, the colony’s radial growth was measured at regular intervals for one week at 3, 4, and 7 days. The percentage inhibition of each treatment was then computed after the seventh day of incubation. The study revealed that the mycelial growth of Bipolaris sorokiniana was significantly inhibited by the following: botanicals (garlic clove and neem leaf extracts), bioagents (Trichoderma harzianum: Strain- IRRI-1 and SV-7), micronutrients (ferrous sulphate, zinc sulphate, and boron), and fungitoxicants (propiconazole and tebuconazole). Based on the findings mentioned above, and the final recommendation given to the farmers; these potential elements can be assessed for the effectiveness of their individual and combined application against spot blotch disease of wheat under field conditions.