Efficacy of newly developed biopesticides for the management of wilt disease complex of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Effectiveness of three biopesticides viz., Biowilt-X (based on Trichoderma harzianum), Bionem-X (based on Pochonia chlamydosporia) and Biocure-X (based on Bacillus subtilis) were tested against wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri), root-knot (Meloidogyne incognita) and the wilt disease complex (F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri + M. incognita) of chickpea (cv. BG-256). The biopesticides were developed by involving novel technology patented in USA and India and were applied to seeds (5g/kg seed) and soil (40g/microplot) to evaluate their effectiveness against the target diseases under field conditions. The pesticides viz., carbendazim and nemacur were applied @ 1.25 kg a.i./h and 6.0 kg a.i./h as soil application, and 2g/kg seed as seed treatment. Chickpea grown in the plots infested with pathogens singly or concomitantly developed characteristic wilt and root-knot symptoms, and exhibited significant yield decline. Application of biopesticides checked the severity of the diseases and the resulting yield declines. Application of Biowilt-X decreased the wilt incidence by 60% and promoted the yield of chickpea (46%) grown in F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceri infested plots. The biopesticides Bionem-X and Biocure-X were found effective against root-knot disease and suppressed the galling by 20 and 12% and promoted the yield of infected chickpea plants by 28 and 34% in comparison to the control. Application of Biocure-X was found highly effective against the fungus-nematode wilt disease complex; its seed treatment substantially controlled the wilt and rootknot, and increased theyieldof concomitantlyinfectedchickpea by49°C. Biocure-X wasfound moreeffectivein increasing the nodulation as compared to other treatments. Effect of carbendazim and nemacur was significant (P < 0.05) in checking the wilt, root knot and disease complex but were not as effective as biopesticides. The present study has demonstrated that biological management of wilt, root-knot and disease complex can be successfully achieved with the application of the developed biopesticides.