Biological management of corm rot of saffron
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Date
2018-07
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Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu
Abstract
Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is considered as one of the most expensive spices because of its therapeutic and aromatic value. In the present study, corm rot was recorded as a major biotic stress, in all the surveyed saffron growing areas of Kishtwar district of Jammu province. Maximum disease incidence of 59.33 per cent and severity 35.00 per cent was recorded from Lower Poochal. Different myco-pathogens viz., Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Macrophomina sp. were isolated from the diseased corms of saffron, having per cent occurrence of 34.67, 20.33, 15.67, 15.00, 11.67 and 2.67, respectively.
Under in vitro conditions, using dual culture assay on potato dextrose agar, Trichoderma viride and T. harzianum significantly reduced the mycelial growth of the Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Gladioli, with the inhibition of 77.60 and 76.60 per cent, respectively, as compared to control. Under field conditions, dipping of saffron corm in carbendazim @ 50% WP @ 0.2 %, exhibited maximum reduction (70.33%) in the disease incidence, which was followed by corm treatment with T. viride and T. harzianum (1×107 cfu/ml) and soil solarization, resulting in the reduction in the corm rot incidence by 61.55, 57.15, 59.90 per cent, respectively, over control. Population density of F. oxysporum f. sp. gladioli was significantly reduced (72.50%) by soil solarisation treatment after 90 days of sowing of saffron, as compared to its population before planting of corms.
In case of growth promotion traits viz., emergence of sprouting, flowering and number of flowers in saffron, corm treatment with Bacillus subtilis @ 1x109cfu/ml significantly reduced the number of days of sprouting and flower emergence and also increased the number of flowers (23 & 74 DAS and 3, respectively) as compared to control (31 & 86 DAS and 1, respectively).
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