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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, one of the most important fungal pathogen of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), is a constant threat to this crop worldwide. It causes yield losses up to 100 % depending upon the varietal susceptibility, growth stage and climatic conditions. Strategies have been employed for controlling this pathogen such as use of cultural practices, resistant cultivars, fungicides etc., but have proven less effective and even the use of chemicals have hazardous effects, and also lead to the development of fungicide resistance in pathogens. As an environmentally sound alternative, biological control is an attractive method against such soil borne diseases. Several rhizospheric bacteria have the ability to control diseases and promote the plant growth under laboratory and field conditions. Among these, species of Pseudomonas and Bacillus are the most extensively studied for the biocontrol of a variety of root associated phytopathogens. The mechanisms mainly include synthesis and release of some metabolites such as antibiotics, lytic enzymes, siderophores, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and other diffusible and volatile antifungal compounds. All these metabolites exert inhibitory effect on a range of phytopathogens present in close vicinity of the plant roots. Moreover they provide competitive nature to these rhizobacteria for survival and function under prevalence of such soil borne fungal pathogens. Additionally, the use of antagonistic plant growth promoting rhizobacteria increase the symbiotic efficacy of indigenous Mesorhizobium ciceris present in the soil and also help in inducing the plant’s own defense mechanism against several phytopathogens. Thus use of biocontrol measures using bacterial antagonists, due to their perceived level of safety; reduced environmental impact and easy delivery improve the growth and hence yield.