Management of Fusarium yellows and corm rot of gladiolus using Bacillus subtilis based biofunigicide Buttar Daljeet Singh*, Choudhary Ajay Kumar, Singh Poonam C.1 Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 1CSIR National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow-226001 *E-mail: pau_daljeet2@pau.edu
Online Published on 28 August, 2023. Abstract Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus L.) a superlative ornamental cut flower, is commercially cultivated all around the world. Fusarium yellows and corm rot is a devastating disease of gladiolus and is caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli. Considering the importance of the disease, the present study was conducted over the period of 2 years (2020-21 and 2021-22) with the objective to evaluate the bioformulation of Bacillus subtilis NBRI-W9 against Fusarium yellows and corm rot in gladiolus under field conditions. Two sets of experiments were designed with two different varieties i.e. susceptible variety (White Prosperity) and tolerant variety (Punjab Glance). In the first set of experiment, maximum corm germination (91.67% and 91.50%), maximum disease inhibition (85.02% and 88.23%), highest flowering percentage (46.47% and 46.43%) and an enhanced yield of 22.73 q/acre and 23.40 q/acre were reported in case of T3 (bioformulation) treatment in both years. Similarly, in the second set of experiment, T4 (bioformulation) treatment showed maximum corm germination (89.53% and 88.63%), maximum disease inhibition (82.09% and 83.31%), highest flowering per centage (47.87% and 47.13%) and an enhanced yield of 22.84 q/acre and 23.10 q/acre as compared to all other treatments. The present study concluded that corm treatment with bioagent not only controlled the disease but also promoted plant development and hence increased the yield. Top Keywords Bacillus subtilis NBRI-W9, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli, Gladiolus, Biofungicide. Top |