*Directorate of Oilseeds Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030, India.
Department of Agricultural Microbiology, University of Agricultural Sciences GKVK, Bangalore, 560065, Karnataka, India E-mail: rudreshdl@hotmail.com
Part of the thesis submitted to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore by the first author.
Nine isolates of Trichoderma spp. were tested for their ability to inhibit soil borne fungal pathogens of chickpea viz. Rhizoctonia solani, Sciendum rolfsii, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Laboratory evaluation of Trichoderma isolates by dual-culture test, inverted plate technique and poisoned food technique revealed Trichoderma harzianum-PDBCTH 10 to be more inhibitory against R. solani and S. rolfsii followed by J. viride-PDBCTV 32 and T. virens-PDBCTVs 12, whereas T. virens-PDBCTVs 12 was found to inhibit Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri to a greater extent than other isolates. Pot culture evaluations under greenhouse conditions using T. harzianum -PDBCTH 10, T. viride-PDBCTV 32 and T. virens -PDBCTVs 12 revealed T. harzianum-PDBCTH 10 to be an effective biological control agent against rhizoctonia root rot and sclerotium collar rot whereas T. virens-PDBCTVs 12 was found effective against fusarium wilt. Further, in addition to biological control of soil borne fungal pathogens seed inoculation of Trichoderma spp. also found to increase growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under greenhouse conditions.
Biological control, Cicer arietinum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Trichoderma spp.
