Bio-efficacy of Bacillus subtilis against Damping off Disease in Brinjal

Abstract

Bacillus sp is one of the biocontrol agents are extensively used in management of fungal diseases of crop plants, exhibiting mycoparasitism against a wide range of plant pathogens. In the present investigation Efficacy of Bacillus subtilis was tested against Pythium aphanidermatum under glass house and field conditions. With regard to the germination and seedling growth parameters, the treatment T2 (liquid formulation of Bacillus subtilis @10 ml/L)  recorded the highest germination percentage (92.59%), shoot length (59.3 cm), root length (24.3 cm), vigor index (7740.52) and yield (22.67 mt/ha). This was followed by the treatments T3, T1 and T4 in the decreasing order of merit. In the biometric observations also, 10 ml/L and 20 ml/L concentration of liquid formulation of Bacillus subtilis recorded statistically significant results. Observations on total protein content in brinjal plants treated with different concentrations of Bacillus subtilis revealed that treatment T2 was found best in both field and glass house conditions yielded highest protein as 0.44mg/ml and 0.30mg/ml respectively. The least values of germination, growth parameters, protein content and yield were observed in untreated control.