Management of seed borne mycoflora of mungbean by priming with botanicals and Pseudomonas fluorescens

Mungbean varieties were screened for associated mycoflora and its management. Three mungbean cultivars SML 668, ML 818 and PAU 911 showed association of mainly six fungi viz. Macrophomina phaseolina (52.66%), Aspergillus flavus (39.32%), Aspergillus niger (15.33%), Aspergillus versicolor (9.11%), Aspergillus clavatus (8.89%) and Penicillium sp. (6.00%). The maximum mycoflora incidence was observed in mungbean cv. SML 668, where highest incidence of M. phaseolina (38.44%) and Aspergillus flavus (28.44) was observed. Treatment of seed hydro-priming + Vitavax Power @ 2g/kg seed gave complete control of Macrophomina phaseolina, Aspergillus-flavus, Aspergillus clavatus and Aspergillus niger and also resulted in 99.0 per cent reduction in mycoflora infected seed. Lantana leaf extract was the next best treatment with 96.1% reduction in mycoflora infected seed followed by Captaf (89.7%) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (76.6%). Hydro-priming was least effective and in fact increased the incidence of Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus versicolor. Maximum vigor index I of 2578.8 was observed in seed primed with Pseudomonas fluorescens and it was at par with Lantana camara leaf extract (2567.4) followed by seed priming + Vitavax Power seed treatment (2387.2).