Biological management of colocasia blight incited by Phytophthora colocasiae using native strains of antagonists in north western Himalayas

Colocasia is cultivated globally for its edible corm and leaves. Leaf blight incited by Phytophthora colocasiae is the most destructive disease of colocasia. The current study aims at biological management of the disease.

Nine Trichoderma isolates from the colocasia rhizosphere soil along with five designated isolates of Trichoderma spp. already available in the Department of Plant Pathology, CSK HPKV, Palampur were tested in vitro for antagonistic activity against P. colocasiae. Similarly, six unidentified bacterial strains isolated from colocasia phylloplane and available Pseudomonas fluorescens were evaluated for antagonistic activity against P. colocasiae under in vitro conditions. The bioagents found best under in vitro conditions were evaluated in vivo.

Trichoderma isolate Ti-6 was found significantly superior bioagent as it resulted in 72.9 per cent mycelial growth inhibition of P. colocasiae followed by Ti-5 (63.2%), Ti-4 (60.1%) and Ti-1 (54.5%). Amongst bacterial antagonists, Pseudomonas fluorescens gave maximum mycelial growth inhibition of 50.5 per cent followed by Pb-3 (31.4%) and Pb-6 (30.5%). The efficacy of five Trichoderma spp isolates viz., Ti-6, Ti-5, Ti-4, Ti-1, T. viride and one bacterial isolate of P. fluorescens found effective under in vitro were also evaluated in vivo using three delivery systems under net house condition. Corm treatment with bioagents was found superior for management of colocasia blight. Corm treatment with Ti-6 was found to be significantly superior to other treatments as 93.74 per cent of disease control was observed. For drenching, bioagent Ti-6 was proved best in managing blight disease (88.91%) followed by Ti-5 (88.90%). However, Ti-5 isolate of Trichoderma sp. as soil application was found superior with 90.02 per cent disease control.