Effectiveness of some integrated disease management factors ( IDM ) on Fusarium wilt infected tomato

The study was conducted to investigate efficacy of Integrated disease management (IDM) viz., solarized soil, Trichoderma harzianum, spent mushroom compost and carbendazim on growth characteristics of infected tomato by Fusarial wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici) under pots conditions in the Bio-net house during 2013-2014. Seven treatments and five replicates were taken up in completed randomized design. Maximum shoot length, fresh and dry shoot weight were noticed in T4 (solarized soil+ Spent mushroom compost+ T. harzianum) 118.10 cm, 67.25 and 42.20 g respectively as compared to T. harzianum or spent mushroom compost that alone treated plants. Maximum root length, fresh and dry root weight were also recorded in T4 (solarized soil+ spent mushroom compost+ T. harzianum) 28.35 cm, 4.65 and 2.55 g respectively. The yield of tomato plants was significantly increased in T6 (tomato plant alone without Fusarium oxysporum) 170.15 g/plant followed by T4 137.52 g/plant as compared with T0Fusarium oxysporum alone and T1Solarized soil + Fusarium oxysporum 0.0 g.


Introduction
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one among the most used vegetable in family solanaceae and is cultivated in many areas throughout the world (Villareal, 1979).There are many diseases for this plant, and Fusarium wilt is major among them causing 10-50 % yield loss (Larkin and Fravel, 1998;Borrero et al., 2004).It is of worldwide importance where at least 32 countries had reported the disease, which is particularly severe in countries with warm climate.Mui-Yun Wong, (2003).It is a devastating disease causing considerable economic losses ranging from 10-80% yield loss in many tomatoes producing area of the country (Kesavan and Chaudhary, 1977).Integrated disease management (IDM), is an important strategy to control this deadly disease (El Khoury and Makkouk, 2010).
Similarly, mushroom compost (spent mushroom substrate (SMS), mushroom soil) also has some antimicrobial effects and can be used against plant diseases caused by fungi (Davis et al. 2005).This study was conducted to evaluate some IDM elements: Solarized soil, Trichoderma harzianum, spent mushroom compost and carbendazim on some growth parameters of infected tomato by Fusarium wilt.

Study area
The Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.lycopersici was isolated from infected roots of tomato by tissue segment method.The infected roots of tomato were cut separately into small pieces into the wash glass with the help of sterile blade and surface sterilized with mercuric chloride (0.1%) for 20-30 seconds followed by three times rinsing with sterilized distilled water.The diseased pieces were then placed on presterilized blotting paper to remove excess moisture.The surface sterilized diseased pieces were then aseptically, transferred on PDA medium and incubated at 28±2°C for five days.
After incubation, colonies were observed and identified on the basis of morphological and reproductive characters.
Pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.lycopersici was tested on healthy tomato seedling at the three-true-leaf stage according to Koch's postulate, their roots were cut and dipped into conidial suspension (10 6 spores/ml) of tested isolate for 30 minute, and then the seedlings were transplanted into sterilized soils in pots (10 cm in diameter) and kept in Bio-net.After symptoms appeared the pathogen was re-isolated from infected portion of tomato seedling and again identified through microscopic method in the laboratory.
Farm yard manure (FYM) @ 100 g / pot was mixed with solarized and unsolarized soil and was filled in thirty-five pots with capacity 10 kg soil / pot.The bioagent Trichoderma harzianum was applied @ 2 g / pot, four days before sowing the seeds of tomato variety (CO-3), carbendazim 50 % W.P was applied @ 2 kg a.i / ha, whereas spent mushroom compost was unsterile and mixed with soil in the pots @ 20 g / kg of soil.Seven days after germination, four seedlings per pot were maintained in each treatment.Observations were recorded on shoot length (cm), fresh and dry shoot weight (g), root length (cm), fresh and dry root weight (g) and yield / plant (g).In the experiment Complete Randomized Design (CRD) was adopted.Soil solarization was conducted for 2 months from 15th April to 15th June 2013 at research field of SHIATS, Allahabad, The soil was tilled, leveled and Irrigation was given prior to laying of the polythene sheet which was transparent and thick.
The analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique was applied for drawing conclusion from data.The calculated values were compared the tabulated values at 5% level of probability (Fisher and Yates, 1968).

Yield / plant (g)
Fruit yield (g) per plant of tomato were taken after 150 days of germination in the Table 1 revealed that significantly increased the yield (g) of tomato plants was found in T6 (170.15 g, plant without fusarium and treatments), T4 (137.52 g ,S.S + S.m.c + T.h +F.o) , T2( 128.25 g, S.S + S.m.c + F.o), T5 (115.70 g ,C +F.o) and T3( 107.12 g, S.S + T.h +F.o), as compared with the treatments T1(0.0 g, S.S + F.o ) and T0 (0.0 g, F.o alone), however the treatments (T4, T2) and (T2,T3,T5) and (T1,T0 ) were found non-significant among themselves.Najat and Kahkashan (2012) reported that under pots culture 117.5 % increase in plant height can be achieved for tomato plants treated with T. harzianum.Similar results were reported by Sundaramoorthy and Balabaskar (2013).Rasool et al. (2011) reported that Trichoderma species can be used as biocontrol agents against phytopathogenic fungi and increase fresh shoot and root weight in tomato seedlings.Increases in dry root weight in tomato seedlings were observed in treated soil with T. harzianum T969 as compared with the control, dry root weight also increased in seed that inoculated by Trichoderma isolates.Ebtsam et al. (2009) observed that control treatment was recorded low values of dry weight of plants in comparison with other treatments.Ebtsam et al. (2009); Niknejad et al. (2000) and Zaghloul et al. (2007) showed the treatment of B. subtilis, T. harzianum enhanced the number, weight and yield of fruits of tomato.The probable reasons for such findings may be that Trichoderma harzianum have many positive effects on plant and systemic resistance to plant diseases (Harman et al., 2004;Harman, 2006).The growth enhancement might be due to secretion of auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins (Sundaramoorthy and Balabaskar, 2013).

Conclusion
From the findings, it's concluded that effectiveness of some integrated disease management factors (IDM) on some characteristics of growth of infected tomato by fusarium wilt using T. harzianum, spent mushroom compost, chemical method (Carbendazim) and physical method (Soil solarization).
Plants treated with a combination of T. harzianum and spent mushroom compost with solarized soil showed significant increasing in shoot length (cm), fresh and dry shoot weight (g), root length (cm), fresh and dry root weight (g) and yield / plant (g).

Table 1 .
Effect of solarized soil with spent mushroom compost, Trichoderma harzianum and carbendazim on plant growth parameters of tomato.