Management of chickpea wilt, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri using fungicides, botanicals and bioagents

Carbendazim (0.1%) and tebuconazole (0.1%) were found superior in completely inhibiting Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri at recommended and half recommended dosages. Among the botanicals, neem leaf extract was found to be superior in inhibiting the growth of the test pathogen at 5 and 10% concentration followed by garlic clove extract. In vitro screening of four bioagents against the pathogen indicated superiority of Pseudomonas fluorescens as a potential antagonist. Glasshouse experiment revealed that seed treatment with carbendazim (0.1%)+ neem leaf extract (10%) + P. fluorescens (10g kg−1seed) was found to be superior to other seed treatments in reducing the disease and seedling mortality, which recorded maximum germination (90%), seedling vigour index (2105) and least wilt incidence of 22.5 per cent at 35 days after sowing under glasshouse conditions. The next best was seed treatment with carbendazim (0.1%) followed by P. fluorescens (10g kg−1seed), which recorded germination of 85 per cent, seedling vigour index of 1712 and 23.8 per cent wilt incidence. These combined seed treatments not only increased germination percentage and seedling vigour index, but also reduced the disease incidence and seedling mortality.