BIOCONTROL OF WILT OF SAFFLOWER CAUSED BY Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. carthami

 S. J. Gaikwad and G. T. Behere

Abstract

            Safflower is an important oilseed crop grown in India. It can be infected with many fungal, bacterial and viral diseases. Wilt of safflower is one of the most important known disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. carthami. The present study deals with the biological control of wilt of safflower.

            Fifty one isolates from healthy seeds and rhizosphere of healthy safflower plants, were evaluated for their antagonistic activity, only two, viz., Aspergillus fumigatus and Trichoderma harzianum were found to produced maximum zone of inhibition and inhibited germination of spores of test pathogen. The Aspergillus fumigatus (9.26 x 10⁷ spores/ml) and Trichoderma harzianum (8.72 x 10⁷ spores/ml) were found to significantly reduced the disease incidence of safflower in inoculated soil in pots under greenhouse conditions.

            These antagonists did not show any adverse effect on germination of safflower seeds on sterilized blotter paper and in sterilized sand, at the same time plant height and root length were found to have increased significantly, when antagonists were introduced by seed treatment and soil treatment. This control was probably due to antagonistic action of Aspergillus fumigatus and Trichoderma harzianum.

 Key words: Biocontrol, safflower wilt, Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichoderma harzianum.