Response of inoculation technique to seed and seedling infection by M. Phaseolina in sorghum

Sorghum is a major cereal of the world and is a staple food for millions of the poorest and most fo od insecure people. The yield and quality of sorghum i s affected by a wide array diseases among them charco al rot of sorghum caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi ) Goid. is causing more yield loss in rabi sorghum gr owing areas compared to kharif. Different inoculation tec hniques were followed to know effective method for infectin g the seeds and seedlings by the pathogen among method C, that is seed soaking in spore suspension method recorded maximum pre and post emergence mortality of seeds a and 27 per cent respectively compared to other meth ods. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) a major cereal of the world after wheat, rice, maize and barley, is a staple food for millions of the poorest and most food inse cure people in the Semi-Arid Tropics (SAT) of Africa and Asia. Sorghum commonly known as durra , jowari or milo, parts of the world grow sorghum both in rainy and post ra iny seasons in India. The yield and quality of sorghum is affected by a wide array of biotic (pests and disea ses) and abiotic (drought and problematic soils) stresses. A mong the biotic factors of many diseases of sorghum, charcoa l rot of sorghum caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. is causing more yield loss in rabi sorghum growing areas compared to kharif . It is mainly soil inhabiting fungus is an important root and stalk pathogen that incite s the disease by producing microsclerotia/pycnidia (Farr et al .,