Devi, R. K. TombisanaSatyanarayana, Maaragaani S.V.2023-02-092023-02-092021-09https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810193525India, a land of spices marked by the globe for our rich spice heritage. Ginger being one of the members in that, exerted a huge demand in open market. This crop plays a prominent role amid the rural livelihood and prosperity. In contempt of these highlights, this is crop out layered with certain biotic ailments in form of a menace ‘rhizome rot’. A study was conducted in order to identify the status and cause of the disease, evaluate the pathogen’s virulence potential, explore the diverse microhabitat of ginger rhizosphere, evaluate the potent native antagonist and fungicides along with cultural and integrative tactics to manage the disease in Meghalaya. In survey, Ri-Bhoi (54.24) recorded highest disease incidence. The causal agents were identified as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. zingiberi (Foz) and Fusarium solani. All the three major pathogens P. aphanidermatum, Foz and R. solanacearum proved their virulence capability in pathogenicity test depicted a disease incidence and yield loss by 98.61 and 100 per cent respectively. Diverse rhizospheric microflora belongs to genus Acidovorax spp, Azohydromonas spp, Bacillus spp, Pantoea spp, Stenotrophomonas spp, Acremonium spp, Penicillum spp, Trichoderma spp. were found habituated with the crop in this region. Amid tested native isolates and fungicides, P. citrinum, Trichoderma neotropicale, Hypocrea lixii, Bacillus velezensis, B. subtilis and B. amyloliquefaciens proved their antagonistic potential and carbendazim+mancozeb was found efficient against Foz in vitro. The bacterial biocontrol agents exhibited a positive compatible response under co-culture studies under laboratory conditions. The results emanated from the bi-seasonal field experiment by the integrative tactics clearly indicated that, soil amendment with organic manures such as neem cake @250kg/ha or mustard cake @100 kg/ha either with pre sowing treatment of rhizomes with hot water @50oC for 30 minutes or with T. neotropicale @5kg/ha were found effective when challenged against the disease and could reduce the disease incidence by 23-52 per cent, and also significantly improved the agronomical and yield attributes. The technology developed in the present study would serve as an economically feasible and effective integrated strategy for the management of rhizome rot of ginger.EnglishRhizome rotGingerThesis