Microbial Bioagents: Economic multiplication and management of fungal-nematode complex on cumin

Abstract

Mass-scale multiplication was done on cheaper substrates for application of bioagents in the management of plant-parasitic nematodes and fungal pathogens. The bioagents were isolated from the local field soils. Out of the 13 isolated fungi, most of the isolates of <i style="">Trichoderma</i> spp. that were found antagonistic to <i style="">Fusarium o</i><i style="">xysporum</i> f. sp. <i style="">cumini </i>in dual culture technique, were mass multiplied on cheaper agrowastes. Suitability of 6 substrates was screened and tea waste was found to be best followed by wheat bran and sorghum straw. <i style="">Trichoderma harzianum </i>(T5) had the ma´imum spore load per gram (SLPG) value on tea waste followed by <i style="">T. hamatum </i>(T16) on wheat bran. Three isolates of bacteria viz. <i style="">Bacillus subtitlis</i>, <i style="">Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> and <i style="">Rhizobium </i>spp. were multiplied on nutrient broth, King’s B broth and yeast e´tract mannitol broth, respectively.