MANAGEMENT OF MELOIDOGYNE-INCOGNITA RACE-3 AND MACROPHOMINA-PHASEOLINA BY FUNGUS CULTURE FILTRATES AND BACILLUS-SUBTILIS ON CHICKPEA

Bacillus subtilis and fungus filtrates of Aspergillus niger, Curvularia tuberculata and Penicillium coryophilum were used as seed treatments alone and in combination for the management of a root-rot disease complex of chickpea caused by the nematode Meloidogyne incognita race 3 and the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. In general, treatments of all the four agents alone or in combination against plants inoculated with pathogens increase shoot dry weight, number of nodules and reduced nematode multiplication, galling and root-rot index. Increase in shoot dry weight and nodulation was greater when management agents were used against both pathogens compared to plants inoculated with either pathogen alone. Treatment of B. subtilis alone against M. incognita caused a similar increase in shoot dry weight as was caused by treatments with A. niger or P. coryophilum filtrates. Treatment of B. subtilis against M. phaseolina resulted in a larger shoot dry weight than caused by treatment with any of the filtrates used. However, use of B. subtilis on plants inoculated with both pathogens resulted in a similar shoot dry weight as was caused by A. niger filtrate treatment. Increase in shoot dry weight and reduction in nematode multiplication, galling and root-rot index were greater when plants inoculated with M. incognita or M. phaseolina or with both, were treated with B. subtilis plus A. niger or these two combined with one or two other culture filtrates. In general, fungus culture filtrates were less effective as management agents than B. subtilis.