Antifungal Activity of Herbicides Against Macrophomina phaseolina Causing Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Root Rot

Herbicides are commonly used in integrated weed management programs in sesame crop. Their usage not only controls the weed populations but also affects microbial populations especially fungi in soil, and also helpful in control various disease. Nine different herbicides at various concentrations were evaluated in vitro against Macrophomina phaseolina. Among them maximum inhibition in mycelial growth was observed in paraquate dichloride (100%) and oxadiargyl (100%) at all concentrations which was followed by Propaquizafop with 96.48% mean growth inhibition. Propaquizafop also showed complete inhibition of mycelial growth of the test fungus at 100, 150, 200 ppm concentrations. At higher concentration, oxyfluorfen (750 ppm), pendimethalin (2000 ppm) and quizalophop-p-ethyle (100 ppm) gave cent percent growth inhibition while least inhibition was observed in metasulfuron methyl (34.81%) and fenoxaprop-p-ethyle (22.86%).