Ecofriendly management of fusarium wilt of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) by application of organic amendments

The effect of different organic inputs viz., neem cake, mauha cake, coirpith and vermi compost were evaluated against the wilt disease incidence and the growth and yield of carnation. Preliminary screening of different oil cakes and water extracts of organic manures against the growth Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi was carried out by poisoned food technique under laboratory conditions. Among the oil cake and organic manures tested in vitro, neem cake (10%) effectively reduced the growth of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi which recorded a minimum mycelial growth of 1.76 cm with maximum per cent inhibition of 80.44 over control. In organic field experiment, neem cake significantly reduced the disease incidence (12.47 PDI), followed by mauha cake and vermi compost which recorded 14.45 and 16.04 PDI of wilt incidence, respectively. The use of vermicompost significantly increased the growth and yield parameters viz., stalk length (85.25 cm), stalk girth (3.88 cm), no of branches (3.85/plant), no of flowers (3.11/plant) and flower diameter (4.32 cm).