Complement of integrated fertilizer management and integrated pest management concepts to ameliorate faba bean growth and yield

Abstract

Twenty-one microbial preparations recommended for controlling pathogenic fungal strains causing root rot and wilt diseases of faba bean were investigated for antibiosis against several symbiotic and associative diazotrophs adopting a modified agar-plate-inhibition-zone assay. Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium exhibited a somewhat similar susceptibility to biocontrol agents while associative diazotrophs showed variable responses. Azotobacter, compared to others, was severely inhibited by such bio-candidates. The members of the biofertilizer formulation ‘Biofertan’ did bear mixed cultivation with the majority of biocontrol agents. Among those, Bacillus subtilis was deemed the pioneer. In pot experiments, almost all the antagonists significantly restricted the severity of root rot and wilt diseases besides modifying faba bean seedling stand and improving plant development. This was very obvious with shoot biomass increases of > 50%. Moreover, the bioagents successfully recovered the legume establishment, seriously injured due to pathogenic fungal infection. Simultaneous inoculation with Rhizobium and biocontrol agents provided more growth stimulation compared to either when introduced individually. Field-grown faba beans were inoculated with the diazotroph and representatives of biocontrol strains by two different methods, seed coating and over-head soil. Growth parameters determined were the highest when the legume plant was seed-coated by Rhizobium simultaneously over-head soil inoculated with the bacterial bioagents; this was reported with Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aerugenosa. The significance of combined application of biofertilizer and bioagent to ensure cheap, clean and safe farm products is discussed.