Impact of Spent Mushroom Substrate Integration with Trichoderma harzianum on Yield and Gummosis Disease Incidence in Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)

Abstract

Bottle gourd is a commonly grown cucurbitaceous vegetable crop in India. It is affected by various pathogens but gummosis, a soil borne fungal disease is a serious disease of bottle gourd. The symptoms are color change to reddish brown at the collar region. The oozing of brownish gum on affected part is the first sign of disease. The research work carried out in the world has proved that soil application of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) after weathering increased yield and decreased soil borne diseases in different vegetable crops. Keeping in view of its importance, it was felt to study the impact of soil application of SMS enriched with T. harzianum on seed germination, yield and gummosis disease incidence of bottle gourd.   The twelve months old SMS and well rotten farm yard manure (FYM) were applied in soil alone as well as enriched with T. harzianum in the experimental trials conducted from 2019 to 2021.  It revealed that soil application of SMS and FYM applied alone or enriched with T. harzianum didn’t have adverse effect on its germination. The maximum yield at 5752 kg/ha was obtained when SMS enriched with T. harzianum was applied followed by 5630 kg/ha when SMS was applied alone in soil. The minimum yield at 4806 kg/ha was obtained in control. A minimum disease incidence of 4.8 per cent was observed when SMS enriched with T. harzianum was applied, followed by 6.5 per cent when it was applied alone. The maximum disease incidence of 11.7 per cent was observed in control. Therefore, soil application of SMS enriched with T. harzianum before sowing at 25 tonnes/ha significantly increased yield and decreased disease incidence at the maximum rate as compared to other treatments and control.