Elicitation of Induced Resistance in Pearl Millet a gainst Sclerospora Graminicola through Seed Treatment with Medicinal Plant Extracts

Seed treatment is the use of seed as delivery syste m or deployment agent for different materials. Seed treatments offer economical and less polluting delivery system compared to other field application techniques, since only a relatively sma ll amount of material is applied and is in immediate contact with target site. Seed coating w ith antagonistic microorganisms has been abundantly documented and there are several lines oexperimental evidences to show that seed treatment with bacterial and fungal antagonistic are effective in protecting germinating embryos from pathogens. Reports clearly indicate the possib ility of inducing Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in host plant against pathogens by seed treat ment with SAR inducers. Induction of resistance by seed treatment is of practical way to deliver be nefits of SAR. This artificial manipulation of plants’ defense system provides a biologically, env ironmentally and commercially valuable, alternative to existing plant disease managing prac tices. The paper reports use of seed treatment in effectively inducing SAR in otherwise susceptible p earl millet against Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet. The induced resistance is correlat ed to increase in growth parameters and increase in yield.