Annals of Plant Protection Sciences

Seven Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates collected from Chhattisgarh region were confirmed on the morphological and biochemical basis and screened by dual culture method for their antagonistic ability against Magnaporthe grisea and Rhizoctonia solani. All the isolates were significantly inhibited the growth of the test fungi. Maximum inhibition (76.3%) was recorded with the isolate pfr2 against M. grisea whereas in case of R. solani maximum inhibition (75.2%) was recorded with isolate pfr1. Efficacy of P. fluorescens isolate pfr1 was evaluated for their plant growth promotion and disease management ability in rice. Under mist chamber and field conditions, P. fluorescens isolate pfr1 promoted the shoot length and number of tillers in rice and also effectively reduced the blast and sheath blight severity when applied as seedling treatment with one or two foliar sprays.