EVALUATION OF MICROBIAL CONSORTIUM FOR PLANT HEALTH MANAGEMENT OF COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp)
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Date
2024-01-04
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UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCINCES BANGALORE
Abstract
The Rhizobium associated with cowpea nodules were isolated, characterized and screened for plant growth promotional activity. The elite isolate was identified as Rhizobium nepotum OR574343. The bioinoculan ts viz., Bacillus subtilis, Frateuria aurantia, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma harzianum were also used in the study to develop microbial consortium. In vitro screening of bioinoculants was carried
out by dual culture method against the cowpea fusarium wilt pathogen (Fusarium oxysporum). The per cent growth inhibition by B. subtilis (48.15 %), P. fluorescens (61.11 %), and T. harzianum (76.30 %) was recorded. A pot experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions at the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, GKVK, with thirteen treatments replicated thrice consisting of various NPK levels (50, 75, and
100 percent RDF), microbial consortium and F. oxysporum. The microbial application (seed treatment and soil application). The treatments with 100% RDF + Microbial consortium (Seed treatment + soil application) + Fusarium oxysporum (T7) and 75% RDF + MC (ST+SA) + Fusarium oxysporum (T10) recorded higher disease reduction of 90.91% and 86.36% respectively. The same treatments recorded significantly higher growth and yield attributes viz., plant height (164.33 and 162.67 cm), number of branches per plant (24.33 and 25.67 branches) and pod yield (99.33 and 107.00 g/plant) respectively and also recorded higher soil macronutrient availability and plant nutrient uptake at harvest. The application of the microbial consortium improved crop growth and yield by controlling the fusarium wilt disease.
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MICROBIAL CONSORTIUM, COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata L