Solar Assisted Integrated Approach for the Management of Soil Borne Fungus and Root-Knot Nematode Diseases on Tomato at Nursery Level

Abstract

The paper presents the application of soil solarization in enhancing the effect of sustainable pest management components like karanj oil-seed cake, fungal bioagent, Trichoderma harzianum and a biofertilizer, VAM fungus Glomus etunicatum against soil-borne fungi and root-knot nematode for the improvement of plant growth parameters. The observations of all the above management components integrated together carried out in three different districts of Western U.P viz. Gautam Budha Nagar, Ghaziabad and Bulandshahar in nurseries of tomato where heavy infestations of both root knot nematode and wilt causing fungus on the same crop tomato during the hot summer months i.e. .May to June 2011-2012, was recorded. The results of the above cumulative data gathered from all the three targeted hot spots clearly revealed outstanding performance in the treatments where the radiant sun's energy was trapped by polysheets in comparison to where no solar trapping was done in respect to plant growth parameters with reduction of both soil borne fungi and root knot nematode disease incidences. The VA mycorrhiza protected the entry of both fungi and root-knot nematode through vesicles and arbuscules occupying cortical tissue of the roots around the zone of elongation. The oil seed cake, another IPM component is attributed to help in increasing the tolerance level of root while T. harzianum enriches the health of tomato plant through its growth hormones. This solar assisted treatment comprising of oil-seed cake, biopesticide and a biofertilizer, is proved to be an ideal package in combating soil-borne fungi and root-knot nematode infecting tomato. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Headnote

Abstract: The paper presents the application of soil solarization in enhancing the effect of sustainable pest management components like karanj oil-seed cake, fungal bioagent, Trichoderma harzianum and a biofertilizer, VAM fungus Glomus etunicatum against soil-borne fungi and root-knot nematode for the improvement of plant growth parameters. The observations of all the above management components integrated together carried out in three different districts of Western U.P viz. Gautam Budha Nagar, Ghaziabad and Bulandshahar in nurseries of tomato where heavy infestations of both root knot nematode and wilt causing fungus on the same crop tomato during the hot summer months i.e. .May to June 2011-2012, was recorded. The results of the above cumulative data gathered from all the three targeted hot spots clearly revealed outstanding performance in the treatments where the radiant sun's energy was trapped by polysheets in comparison to where no solar trapping was done in respect to plant growth parameters with reduction of both soil borne fungi and root knot nematode disease incidences. The VA mycorrhiza protected the entry of both fungi and root-knot nematode through vesicles and arbuscules occupying cortical tissue of the roots around the zone of elongation. The oil seed cake, another IPM component is attributed to help in increasing the tolerance level of root while T. harzianum enriches the health of tomato plant through its growth hormones. This solar assisted treatment comprising of oil-seed cake, biopesticide and a biofertilizer, is proved to be an ideal package in combating soil-borne fungi and root-knot nematode infecting tomato.

Keywords: Solarization, Meloidogyne incognita, Karanj oilseed cake, Trichoderma harzianum, Glomus etunicatum.

1. Introduction

In recent years soil solarization has received steadily increasing attention as nonchemical method for controlling fungal, bacterial, and viral as well as root knot nematode diseases. It is simple, safe passive solar heating method that involves the placement of plastic sheets on moist soil during periods of high ambient temperature. The plastic sheets allow the sun's radiant energy to be trapped in the soil heating the upper levels to the extent of about 5-10 degrees higher than the respective temperatures of uncovered wet soil. [15]. It is a hydrothermal process accomplished through a combination of physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms, and is compatible with many other disinfestation methods. Research and development in the field of soil solarization has been carried out in more than 50 countries. It has been reported to reduce a number of pests and pathogens including fungi, bacteria, nematodes, arthropods and weeds [1, 3, 12,13]. In the present paper effect of soil solarization integrated with other components viz., karanj oil-seed cake, biopesticide, Trichoderma harzianum and biofertilizer, VAM Glomus etunicatum in combating soil-borne wilt causing fungi and root-knot nematode on tomato at nursery level have been carried out for the first time at three districts of Western U.P. viz Gautam Budha Nagar, Ghaziabad and Bulandshahar having identified as "hot spots" being heavily infested with above mentioned soil borne maladies.

2. Materials and Methods

The experiments were carried out during the hot summer months (May to June) of 2011-2012 in three different Districts of Western U.P viz. Gautam Budha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar at nursery level on tomato cv. Pusa Ruby where heavy infestations of both root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid &White) Chitwood and wilt causing fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici, (hot spots) were recorded in which the inoculum level of Meloidogyne incognita was encountered 15- 20 larvae/g soil through Sieving & Decantation Technique [7].being was much more than the minimum threshold level of 2l/g soil. In respect to the soil mycoflora it was clear that the intensity of fungal colony as observed through heavy spore load of wilt causing fungus mentioned above from the soil isolated from hot spots by the soil dilution technique [18].The entire experiments at nursery level comprised of two identical sets of treatments out of which one was exposed to soil solarization through polysheets while the other was left as such. Each of the above treatment was carried out in microplot trials under nursery level each measuring 2 sq. meters. The treatments comprised of two sustainable components viz. a fungal biopesticide, Trichoderma harzianum and a biofertilizer, Glomus etunicatum both alone and together at recommended doses. Each of the treatments was previously amended with Karanj Oil Seed Cake @ 1 Kg per plot which were irrigated for 2 weeks for decomposition.. Out of all the treatments undertaken, one set including control was covered with clear transparent polythene sheet (400 µ gauge) for solarization for a period of 6 weeks while for the other set left uncovered being referred as unsolarized treatments was recorded following the procedure [5]. Both the sustainable components of the proposed package as mentioned above were added in accordance with the respective doses for both solarized and unsolarized treatments after two week decomposition.

Following this, sowing of tomato cv. Pusa Ruby after surface sterilization with 0.01% Hgcl2 was done in each plot of the nursery maintaining the agronomic practice. The treatments were:

1) Glomus etunicatum(AM fungus)+Karanj oil seed cake -T1

2) Trichoderma harzianum+ Karanj oil seed cake-T2

3) Karanj oil seed cake- T3 (C1)

4) AM fungus+ T.harzianum+ Karanj oil seed cake - T4

5) Control - (C2) -T5

Adequate control treatments viz. C1 and C2 were also maintained.

Observation of the experiments were confined to the percentage germination and also biomass of six weeks old seedlings from each of the above treatments in respect to both solarized and unsolarized ones separately prior to transplantation to the main field. From each of the same freshly uprooted six weeks old seedlings, observations were also recorded in respect to percentage of wilt affected ones wherever required from each of the above treatments while for recording the response of the management of root knot nematode at hot spots by each of the proposed management component both alone and together and with solarization and without, soil population per 100g soil was encountered.

3. Results and Discussion

In the present experiment, results are presented based on cumulative data collected from three different tomato nurseries of vegetable growing area located at districts Gautam Budha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar of Western U.P during months May-July of 2011-2012. This nursery based experiment was initiated in hot summer months, May maintaining two sets of treatments for each of which two sustainable components, a biopesticide and a biofertilizer were used as treatments both alone and together in karanj cake amended soil. Out of the two sets as above, one was exposed to soil solarization placing plastic sheets on moist soil amended with karanj oil seed cake which through trapping the sun's radiant energy caused substantial rise of soil temperature consequent to which, as is clear from the data, presented above, in general, helped in suppressing the incidence of wilt causing fungal disease as also root knot nematode multiplication to a great extent. The other set of the experiment, in contrary, where no sun's radiant energy was trapped the result clearly showed not so effective in reducing either disease incidence or suppression of root knot population on any of the treatments.fig nos 1-4. This finding of solar assisted added performance of disease suppression in Integrated Pest Management Package is being reported for the first time which deserves further investigation although scanning of literature revealed a wide range of reports world wide where several maladies have been effectively managed on several hosts [17, 19, & 20].

Following the performance of reduced disease incidences as a result of six weeks soil solarization for the transplantable crop tomato the healthier soil also proved better percentage germination and also biomass of seedlings grown on the same solarized soil. Thus it is clear from the result presented

Observations of the experiments were recorded of six weeks old seedlings from the solarized nursery bed and also unsolarized ones separately. In general, the solarized seedlings apparently looked much healthier than the ones grown without solarisation. Outstanding performance on percentage germination and plant growth parameters were observed, in general, in the treatments where soil was enriched with karanj oil seed cake when integrated with AM fungus (Glomus etunicatum) and Trichoderma harzianum both alone and together following soil solarization.

The performance was also noteworthy as observed in the treatment where VA mycorrhiza and karanj oil seed cake or karanj oil seed cake combined with Trichoderma harzianum where both the components were applied together as separate treatment which is clearly depicted in the figures (fig 1, 2)

Likewise the observations recorded on population build up of M.incognita in soil as influenced by each of the above treatments clearly exhibited remarkably more reduction in the solarized ones when compared with that of the corresponding unsolarized treatments. Among the treatments of IPM, however, the performance of the best treatment showing maximum reduction in M.incognita was encountered in the treatment where both biopesticide and the biofertilizer were concomitantly applied in karanj oil seed cake amended soil of solarized nursery beds than that of corresponding unsolarized ones (fig.3).

Similar trend of extent of reduction in percentage of wilted seedling was also recorded in solarized treatments than the seedlings of the unsolarized (fig4)

In all the treatments constituting sustainable components the soil was amended with karanj oil seed cake which is known to possess nematicidal properties [10] which due to rich in manural contents is attributed to enhance the tolerance xxx against both root knot nematode and soil borne fungi. This enrichment of the soil in the present investigation is advisable to be included in the amendment by the farmers for better health of the soil. Regarding the performances of the treatments taken up in the present investigation, two separate treatments i.e. T2 where T.harzianum is applied to amended soil and T1 in which AM fungus was used alone showed almost same performance in which the former helped in suppressing the root knot nematode population while the latter helped in making the host more tolerant with some role in protecting root against maladies. However the best performance of higher percentage germination, more biomass of the seedlings and also outstanding reduction in both nematode population and percentage of wilted seedlings by clubbing both biopesticide and biofertilizer in the treatment T5 exhibiting another example of added effect of two microorganisms as has also been demonstrated by earlier workers [11, 16]. This better performance due to the application of two microorganisms as above may be attributed due to the cumulative effect of nematicidal and fungicidal properties of oil seed cake and fungal bioagent that of biofertilizer being responsible as a 'protectant' through occupying the cortical regions of the root particularly in the zone of elongation by 'Vesicles and Arbuscules' (fig 5) [4, 9.10]

The soil solarization in conjunction with (IPM) has also been recorded to help growing micro-flora which is highly beneficial to plant growth or antagonistic to pathogens and pests through slowing the re-infestation of soil by these organisms for more than one growing season. Increasing plant growth and yield of annual and perennial field, row and nursery has also been reported to occur on following soil-solarization. [13, 14]

In this paper soil-solarization has been observed to have enhanced the potentiality of integrated pest management against soil-borne fungi and root-knot nematode in respect to reducing disease incidences and also in increasing the yield of tomato.

4. Conclusion

Although several workers around the globe have been able to utilize the solar energy in improving the health of soil and also plants against a number of soil borne maladies including fungi and nematodes, the integrated approach of solarization, biopesticides and biofertilizer has not been demonstrated so far under field conditions particularly for the transplantable crops. The present investigation appears to be the first instance where the solar energy has been rightly utilized for the benefit of farmers in getting better quality and productivity without much input. The investigators recommend more multilocation trials of the transplantable vegetable crops and also paddy among the cereals wherever solar energy is available in abundance particularly for the poor farmers. Organic amendments aggravated by soil solarization have been demonstrated to have reduced the disease incidences with increased plant vigour

Acknowledgements

We, acknowledge the constant encouragement and moral support of our Founder President Hon'ble Dr. Ashok Kumar Chauhan, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector - 125, Noida and also Dr W. Selvamurthy, President, Amity Science and Technology Innovation Foundation, AUUP, Noida.

References

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