Okra Seeds Priming with Two Bacilli Spp. and Trihar-6 Isolates Enhanced the Physiological Attributes and Suppressed the Fusarium Oxysporum F. Sp. Vasinfectum.

Abstract

This study was aimed to determine the antagonistic effect of biological control agents (BCAs) applied for monitoring antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum (Fov; causal agent of okra wilt disease). Moreover, growth parameters were also monitored upon BCAs application. Seeds primed with the BCAs (i.e., Bacillus sp. BL, TriHar-6, and Bacillus sp. BS with the 0.5 OD, 1.0 OD, and 0.5 OD concentration respectively) and were sown in pots. Laboratory trials for suppression of Fov were conducted in the Plant Pathology Lab of UAF Sub Campus Burewala and Experimental Area of UAF Sub-campus Burewala-Vehari. Although Bacillus sp. BL, and Bacillus sp. BS was effective in the plant growth enhancement, however, when the seedlings were challenged with the pathogen, they failed to suppress the effect of Fov as compared to the control and TriHar-6. The disease incidence in the case of TriHar-6 remained, 41.29%. Control of plant diseases is very important to minimize the economic losses imparted by the pathogens. Fusarium wilt also causes severe damage to the Okra plant. Chemicals controls are very expensive and toxic to the environment. BCAs application for the control of plant diseases is a very effective, sustainable, and durable means to minimizing huge losses induced every year. Bacillus sp. BL, and Bacillus sp. BS reported in these studies shows a positive effect on plant growth enhancement. They have been tested here for Okra plants these candidates need to be studied for their effect on other important crop plants. Furthermore, their dissection at a molecular level will uncover their role in plant fitness.