Management of Heterodera cajani, Meloidogyne incognita and Fusarium wilt on pigeonpea with some chemicals, bio-pesticides and bio-agents

Experiments carried out for two years (2000 and 2001) at the research farm of the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh and in two farmer's fields in the district Bulandshahar (Uttar Pradesh) in northern India indicated that seed treatment of pigeon-pea cv. UPAS 120 with dimethoate 30 EC (0.8%), chlorpyriphos (1 %), triazophos (3%), neemark/neem jiwan (5%), neem seed powder (5%), spore suspension (l08 spores/ml) of Paecilomyces lilacz"nus, Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma harzianum (1 %), latex of Calotropis procera (1 %) and soil application of neem seed powder (50 kg/ha) and carbofuran (2 kg aj./ha) in field micro-plots reduced the incidence of Fusarium wilt disease of pigeonpea. Severe wilting was observed in untreated plots. Roots of such plants were severely infected with Fusarium udum, Heterodera cajani and/or Meloidogyne incognita. Wilting of plants at the early stages (25-50 days after sowing) of plant growth was observed. Effects of seed treatments on nematode populations in roots and soil, root-knot index and percent galled area were significant. Grain yield in all the treated plots was significantly higher than in the untreated plots. Seed treatment with neem seed powder and T. harziallum was the most effective of all the treatments.