Revista de Patología Vegetal y Microbiología

Abstracto

Integrated Management of Garli c White Rot (Sclerotium cepivorum Berk)Using Some Fungicides and Antifungal Trichoderma Species

Chemeda Dilbo, Melaku Alemu, Alemu Lencho and Tariku Hunduma

White rot (Sclerotium cepivorum Berk), is one of the most destructive soil borne pathogens that pose significant threat to production of garlic and other Allium species in Ethiopia and all over the world. Since most of the conventional control methods are not effective, the development of eco-friendly and cost effective integrated management method is critically required. A study was then conducted with completely randomized design and three replications that consist of all possible combinations of 31 treatments. The study was conducted during 2013/14 under greenhouse condition with the objective of evaluating the effect of two fungicides, Apron Star 42 WS and Tebuconazole, and in combination with four Trichoderma species namely T. hamatum, T. harzianum, T. oblongisporum and T. viride. The results of this study revealed that the efficacy of both fungicides, when tested alone, against S. cepivorum was lower than those treated with Trichoderma spp. alone and the fungicide combined treatments. Among all treatments, T16 (Apron Star 42 WS fungicide combined with T. hamatum and T. viride) has provided the best antagonistic activity against S. cepivorum with no disease incidence, followed by T. viride (T8) alone and Tebuconazole combined with T. hamtum (T21) (both 11.1% incidence). This was well correlated to the level of foliar, stem base and bulb rots symptoms as well as to plant growth and biomass of garlic plant parts. The results suggested that integration of fungicides and Trichoderma species is better than applying them alone, which could be attributed to the synergistic and additive growth promoting effects of combined treatments besides controlling the disease. This integrated approach appears to be the first report in Ethiopia, which has never been tested before.