Microbial consortium: an eco-friendly approach against Alternaria brassicae in Indian mustard

Indian mustard is the third largest oilseed crop and important for the food security concern. Among various diseases of mustard crop, Alternaria leaf spot also known as Alternaria blight, causes yield loss of up to 70%. The use of chemicals to treat the diseases is not environmentally friendly, lead poor health of soil and damage food for the consumption. The combinations of multiple antagonistic organisms may provide improved disease control over the use of single organisms. Multiple organisms enhance the level and consistency of control by providing multiple mechanisms of action; combinations of fungi and bacteria may provide protection at different times or under different conditions and complementary niches. This investigation was performed to explore the potential of consortium of rhizospheric bacteria and fungi to use them as bio control agents for suppression of the blight of mustard and plant growth-promoting activities. The inoculated seeds were established under greenhouse and field conditions. Based on the results, one out of four consortia has shown reduction of disease incidence by 28% and increase in seed yield by 42% as compared to control under field conditions against the pathogen. The growth parameters like length of the leaves, roots, stem, plant height, numbers of leaves, and seed development were measured after 8 weeks of planting. Microbial consortia increased the growth parameters better in comparison to single inoculant treatments. Thus, the consortia could be a reliable alternative instead of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for mustard. © 2022, Indian Phytopathological Society.