EVALUATION OF PURPUREOCILLIUM LILACINUM AND ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGUS (AMF) ON PLANT GROWTH AND CONTROL OF EGGPLANT WILT IN ARSENIC CONTAMINATED SOIL

Abstract

The effect of eight different treatments viz. Purpureocillium lilacinum (T), Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) (T2), P. lilacinum + AMF (T ), P.lilacinum + arsenic (T 4 ), AMF + Arsenic (T 5 ), P.lilacinum + AMF + Arsenic (T ), Arsenic (T 7 ) and Chemical Fungicide (T ) were evaluated against wilt of eggplant caused by Fusarium oxysporum. The efficacy of the treatments varied significantly in terms of wilt incidence and plant growth. Application of treatment T 8 (P. lilacinum + AMF)and T (Chemical Fungicide) showed the best result at 28 days of transplanting with lowest 20% of wilt incidence. Among ten growth parameters, six parameters such as root length, root fresh weight, root dry weight, shoot length, shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight showed the best result with 16.80 cm, 5.36 g, 3.01 g, 15.70 cm, 11.60 g, 1.5 g respectively in the treatment T 8 (P. lilacinum + AMF) which is significantly different from other treatments. In case of number of leaf/plant, treatment T (AMF) showed best result with 5.00 which is significantly different from other treatments. Chlorophyll content was highest in the treatment T 8 2 (Chemical Fungicide) with 42.65 µg cm -2 which is significantly different from other treatments. Treatment T (AMF+Arsenic) showed the best result in comparison to other treatments where AMF reduced 50% arsenic uptake by eggplant shoot in compare to the treatment where only arsenic was applied.

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