Integrated Management of Stem Rot of Groundnut Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii under in vitro Conditions

Groundnut stem rot, caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, is notorious for causing significant economic losses in groundnut production worldwide.

A field trial on the integrated management of stem rot disease in groundnut was conducted at the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics during the rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23. This involved the use of in vitro effective fungicides and biocontrol agents. The experiment was organized in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) featuring ten treatment combinations, including an untreated control, with three replications and a spacing of 30 × 10 cm.

During the field evaluation in the rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23, the bioagents Trichoderma viride, Bacillus cereus and the fungicide azoxystrobin showed remarkable performance. Among the various treatments, T10, which included Trichoderma viride and Bacillus cereus as seed treatment (ST) and soil application (SA) along with a reduced rate of azoxystrobin, proved to be the most effective in managing stem rot in groundnut. Treatment T8, consisting of Trichoderma viride as ST+SA and a reduced rate of azoxystrobin and treatment T9, featuring Bacillus cereus as ST+SA with a reduced rate of azoxystrobin, also demonstrated good disease control under both glasshouse and field conditions. Moreover, these treatments led to significant improvements in growth and yield parameters, with the highest pod yield and benefit-cost ratio recorded. In summary, the bioagents Trichoderma viride, Bacillus cereus and the fungicide azoxystrobin have shown considerable promise for the effective management of stem rot in groundnut and can be applied in field settings.