Evaluation of Bacterial Bio-Control Agents against Foliar Blight Pathogens of Onion in Jammu Region

Foliar blight is an important disease of onion that is caused by at least sis different pathogens viz., Alternatia alternata, A. porri, A. tenuissima, Stemphylium vesicarium, Cladosporium allii-cepae and Colletotrichum circinans. Fluorescent pseudomonads were isolated from solarised and unsolarised soil and onion seed and evaluated against different foliar blight pathogens. Out of one hundred and fifty isolates of Pseudomonas fluorescence isolated, only twenty-two were found effective against various foliar blight pathogens of onion, though having specific effectiveness against each pathogen. None of the pseudomonads was effective against all the pathogens leading to the conclusion that genetic engineering has to be employed to develop a strain that is effective against most of the foliar blight pathogens.