Potential of Brassica juncea as biofumigant for the management of damping off in tomato
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Date
2017-08
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G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
Imposition of ban on the use of methyl bromide by Montreal Protocol (1992) due to its ozone depletion property and increased worldwide concern for the use of ecologically safe, environment friendly methods protecting crops from the plant pathogens has led to the systematic research into alternative strategies for the management of soil borne pests and diseases. Among different alternatives of chemical control methods, biofumigation has gained huge interest. Biofumigation is the practice of growing and incorporating selected Brassica green manure crops which contain biologically active compounds for use in the management of soil borne pests and diseases in various agricultural and horticultural crops. Biofumigation also offers the opportunity to improve soil health through the addition of organic matter and readily available nutrients, which collectively help to achieve sustainable or improved crop production outcomes.
In the present investigation an attempt was made to evaluate the potential of Brassica juncea varieties as biofumigant for the management of damping off disease in tomato.
Biocidal volatiles released from B. juncea tissue (100 mg powder/plate) degradation of three B. juncea varieties significantly reduced the mycelial growth of Pythium aphanidermatum and other soil borne plant pathogens viz., Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Sclerotium rolfsii. Kranti variety was found to be most toxic as it resulted into maximum per cent growth inhibition of all the pathogens over control (P. aphanidermatum; 81.05%, R. solani; 90.41%, F. oxysporum; 92.08%, S. sclerotiorum; 91.66% and S. rolfsii; 92.88%). Incidence of pre and postemergence damping off was found minimum in the treatment Kranti+PBAT-3 in both glasshouse (4.47% pre-emergence and 6.98% post-emergence damping off) and field conditions (11.67% pre-emergence and 5.47% post-emergence damping off). The combination of biofumigation with biocontrol agents also resulted in the increase in the plant growth parameters. The treatment Kranti+PBAT-3 significantly increased germination per cent of tomato i.e. 95.53 per cent in glasshouse and 88.33 per cent in field. The same treatment also resulted in the significant increase in the fresh weight and dry weight of tomato plants. Maximum plant vigour index was also attained in the treatment Kranti+PBAT-3 in glasshouse (4466.03) as well as in field (4034.03). Sinigrin content was found to be maximim in Kranti (21.17 µM/g).
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