Preliminary Studies on Bio-efficacy of Different Botanical Extracts against Sclerotium rolfsii (Sacc.) Causing Collar Rot of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Background: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the world's third most important pulse crop. Collar rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is an important devasting disease of chickpea in areas where seedling is exposed to high temperature and high moisture in the soil, affected seedlings turn yellow, which can be easily pulled out, which causes considerable damage to the plant stand. Botanical's control is very important aspects to minimize cost of cultivation and also to avoid environment pollution and health hazards. Thus, Botanicals extracts were tested for their efficacy against S. rolfsii for manage the disease.Methods: Present investigation was undertaken for bio-efficacy of aqueous botanical extracts of different non-host plants viz., neem seeds kernel extract (NSKE), neem leaves extract (NLE), tulsi leaves extract (TLE), datura leaves extract (DLE), aak leaves extract (ALE), lantana leaves extract (LLE), kaner leaves extract (KLE) and gajargass leaves extract (GLE) were evaluated in vitro at three concentrations viz., 5, 10 and 15% against S. rolfsii causing collar rot of chickpea, by using poisoned food technique. Most effective in vitro evaluate botanical extracts further tested for their efficacy against management of the disease under pot experiment in net house. Result: The result revealed that all the botanical extracts are significantly inhibited the growth of test organism at all the concentrations tested after 96 h of inoculation. The NSKE recorded significantly superior in inhibiting mycelial growth up to 47.22 and 59.44% at 10 and 15% concentration, respectively with a mean of 46.85%, followed by tulsi leaves extract with 43.61 and 56.11% at 10 and 15% concentration respectively with a mean of 43.61%. While, at 5% concentration both extracts at par statistically to each other. Lantana leaves extract is found statistically at par with tulsi leaf extract at all concentrations least inhibition was observed in kaner leaves extract under in vitro condition. Under pot experiments all the treatments proved significantly superior when compared with inoculated control. NSKE @ 15% concentration was found significantly superior to control the disease, when applied through seed treatment and integration of seed treatment and post emergence seedling drenching at 7 DAG.