Biological Control of Charcoal Rot Pathogen (Macrophomina phaseolina) which Infects Maize by Nonpathogenic Fusarium solani f. sp. psidii

Abstract

An exploratory Study was undertaken of the possibility of controlling charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) of maize by inoculation of the host with Fusarium solani f. sp. psidii the incitant of wilt of guava but nonpathogenic to maize. It was observed that the protection of maize plants on sterilized soil could be achieved against M.phaseolina by inoculation of the host with the nonpathogen before inoculation with the pathogen (77.3%) and also by mixed inoculation with the pathogen and the nonpathogen (86.7%). F.solani f. sp. psidii was antagonistic to M. phaseolina by reducing growth arid spread pathogen in the inoculated taaize stalks. The antagonist was also able to inhibit linear growth and reduced sclerotia production of M. phaseolina in culture. Culture filtrate of the nonpathogen also resulted in a high inhibition of germination of sclerotia of the pathogen. Similar phenomenon on sclerotial germination was also observed in the extract of maize stalks inoculated with the nonpathogen.