Biocontrol of actinomycetes against chickpea wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri.

Wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri is one of the most destructive diseases of chickpea crop. As the pathogen survives mainly in soil, seed treatment is the viable way to control this disease. Actinomycetes are extensively distributed in natural habitat particularly crop rhizosphere and are involved in different biological and metabolic processes. Actinomyctes were isolated from rhizosheric soil samples of chickpea crop. These isolates were evaluated under in vitro condition against the wilt pathogen. Out of the 12 isolates, two isolates inhibited 78–80% mycelial growth of the pathogen and identified as Streptomyces spp.