Studies on Fusarium Wilt of Pigeonpea Incited by Fusarium udum Butler

The pathogen being soil borne and its propagules distributed randomly in soil is difficult to be controlled by fungicides. Moreover, the fungicides are effective only on the active metabolic stage of the propagules and not on resting structure. Soil application of fungicides is an expensive and deleterious to non target microflora. Biological control has become a critical component of plant disease management and it is a practical and safe approach in various crops (Patel and Anahosur, 2001). Bioprotectants provide unique opportunity for crop production, since they grow, proliferate, colonize and protect the newly-formed plant parts to which they were not initially applied (Harman, 1991). Microorganisms isolated during the course of studies were tested for antagonism to Fusarium udum. The microorganisms indicating such properties were utilized for possible biological control of pigeonpea wilt by addition of the cultures of antagonists to infested soil along with certain organic amendments.