Abstract: Seed treatment with biofertilizers in controlling foot and root rot of binamoog-3 and binamoog-4 was investigated under field condition. Biofertilizer significantly increased seed germination and decreased incidence of foot and root rot of mungbean. Treatment of seeds of binamoog-3 with biofertilizer showed 5.67% increase in germination over control, but in case of binamoog-4 10.81% increase in germination over control was achieved by treating seeds with biofertilizer. Biofertilizers resulted 77.79% reduction of foot and root rot disease incidence over control in binamoog-3 and 76.78% reduction of foot and rot disease in binamoog-4. Seed treatment with biofertilizer also produced up to 20.83% higher seed yield (t ha‾1) over untreated control in binamoog-3 and 12.79% higher seed yield over control in binamoog-4.
Introduction
Mungbean (Vigna mungo) is the fifth major pulse crop in Bangladesh which contributes 6.65% of total pulse production in Bangladesh (BBS, 2000). Yield of mungbean in Bangladesh is 0.62 t ha-1 (BBS, 2000) which is very low in comparison to the world production. Among the various factors of low yield, diseases prevalence plays an important role. Mungbean is severely affected by foot and root rot. Foot and root rot of mungbean is caused by Fusarium oxysporum and Sclerotium rolfsii. They are most destructive soil borne as well as seed borne phytopathogenic fungi (Fakir, 1983; Ahmed, 1985). Use of chemicals for controlling this disease resulted environmental pollution, health hazards all over the world. As an alternate means of avoiding these problems, use of biological control agents are now being used in many developed countries for combating the diseases with the aim of increasing food production. If Rbizobium could successfully be used for controlling foot and root rot of mungbean, this could help to save the currency of purchasing plant protecting chemicals as well as to reduce the environmental pollution. In addition, Rbizobium could enrich soil nitrogen levels through BNF (Biological Nitrogen Fixation). Therefor, the present research work was designed to evaluate the seed treatment with biofertilizer in controlling foot and root rot of mungbean.
Materials and Methods
Collection of seed and biofertilizers
Seed samples of two mungbean varieties viz. Binamoog-3 and binamoog-4 were
collected from Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh,
Bangladesh. Two biofertilizer viz. BARI biofertilizer and BINA biofertilizer
were collected from the Soil Microbiology Laboratory, Bangladesh, Agricultural
Research Institute (BARI), Joydebpur, Gazipur and BINA, Mymensingh, Bangladesh,
respectively.
Germination test
Germination test of the two mungbean varieties were done following blotter
method of (ISTA, 1996).
Treatment of seeds with biofertilizer
Seeds were counted and packed in separate polyethylene bags as per treatment
and replication. Seeds were than moistened and mixed thoroughly with the peat
based biofertilizer. The treated seeds were placed in a cool and dry place under
shade for few minutes for drying.
Field trial
The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with 3 replications.
The size of the individual plot was 1x1 m. The space between the blocks and
plots were 1 and 1m, respectively.
The seeds were sown in the afternoon as per treatment where spacing was maintained 15 cm line to line. The seeds were sown in 3-5 cm depth and then covered with soil. No plant protection measure such as insecticidal and fungicidal spray was applied for controlling the pest and disease of the crop. The experimental plots were inspected periodically for determining foot and root rot. The crop was harvested. Yield and yield attributes were determined.
Results and Discussion
Seed treatment with biofertilizer significantly enhanced germination of binamoog-3 and binamoog-4 (Table 1). Seed germination of binamoog-3 under different treatments ranged from 75.71 to 80.00%. Highest seed germination of binamoog-3 was recorded under seed treatment with BINA biofertilizer which was 5.67% higher over untreated control. Seed germination of (78.09%) was recorded under seed treatment BINA biofertilizer which was 10.81% higher over binamoog-4 under different treatments ranged from 70 to 78%.
| Table 1: | Effect of seed treatment with biofertilizers on germination of mungbean cultivers |
Highest seed germination (78%) was recorded under seed treatment with BINA biofertilizer which was 10% higher over untreated control. Khan et al. (1998) reported that treatment of seeds of lentil with Rhizobial strains increased germination up to 46% over control, where Hossain et al. (1999) obtained 48% higher seed germination of lentil cv. Utfala over untreated control by treating seeds with biofertilizer. Hossain et al. (2000) recorded 18% higher germination of lentil seeds over control by treating seeds with biofertilizer. In another study.
The results of the present study distinctly showed that treatment of seeds with biofertilizer has a profound effect in reducing foot and root rot disease (Table 2). Highest reduction of foot and root rotted plants/plot of binamoog-3 was obtained by seed treatment with BINA biofertilizer which was 77.97% reduction over untreated control. Seed treatment of binamoog-4 with BARI biofertilizer and BINA biofertilizer resulted up to 69.63 and 76.79% reduction in foot and root rot disease, respectively. Kibria (2000) reported that seeds of binamoog-5 treated with BINA biofertilizer decrease disease severity by 70.16%. Khan et al. (1998) reported that rhizobial inoculants resulted up to 62.5 and 73.3% reduction in Fusarial and Sclerotial foot and root rot of lentil, respectively in pot experiment. Hossain et al. (1999) also reported that seed treatment of lentil cv. Utfala with Rhizobial inoculants showed excellent effect in protecting attack of both Fusarium oxysporum and Sclerotium rolfsii.
Application of Biofertilizer also resulted significant increase in length of shoot and root, weight of shoot and root and dry weight of the Mungbean cv. Binamoog-3 and Binamoog-4. Highest shoot length, root length, shoot weight, root weight and dry weight/plant of binamoog-3 was obtained by treating seeds with BINA biofertilizer (Table 3). Similar result was obtained in binamoog-4. Kibria (2000) obtained 64.38% increase in shoot length and 57.69% increase in root length over control by employing seed treatment with biofetilizer. They also reported that seed treatment with biofertilizer increased shoot and root weight significantly over control. The finding of the present study also corroborates with the findings of Hossain et al. (1999).
Seed treatment with biofertilizer showed significant variation on the formation of number of complete inhibition of nodule formation by the inoculation of Mungbean with Fusarium nodules/plant and weight of nodules/plant of the crop (Table 4).
| Table 2: | Effect of seed treatment with biofertilizers on incidence of foot and root rot of mungbean cultivars |
| Table 3: | Effect of seed treatment with biofertilizers on growth, weight of shoot and root of mungbean cultivars |
| Table 4: | Effect of seed treatment with biofertilizers on nodulation of mungbean cultivars |
| Table 5: | Effect of seed treatment with biofertilizers on yield of mungbean cultivaras |
Chary et al. (1983) observed oxysporum in sterilized soil which was improved when simultaneous inoculation was done with Rhizobium. Sharma et al. (1995) obtained an increase in number of nodules and dry weight of nodules with seed bacterization of Mungbean (Vigna radiata L). The result of the present study is also supported by Pal and Ghosh (1986) and Kumar et al. (1998).
Seed treatment with biofertilizer under the present study resulted an increase in number of pods/plant, length of pod/plant, number of seed/plant, weight of seeds/plants. These findings are supported by Hossain et al. (1999). They reported that seed inoculation of lentil with Rhizobial strains increased number of pods/plant. It has been recorded that biofertilizers increased number of pods/plant upto 20.1% over control, while number of seeds/plant increased by up to 45.55% over control. This study is also supported by Kibria (2000). He recorded 41.76% increase in number of pods/plant, 48.78% increase in weight of pods/plant, 64.70% increase in number of seeds/plant and 60.21% increase in weight of seeds/plant by seed treatment with biofertilizer. Moreover, treating seeds with BINA biofertilizer increased 12.79% and 20.83% seed yield of binamoog-3 and binamoog-4, respectively over untreated control (Table 5). The findings of the present study are in accordance with the finding of Haque and Haq (1994). They reported that seed inoculation of lentil with Rbizobium significantly increased yields/plant. Kibra (2000) also supported the same results.