Efficacy of certain bioagents on patho-physiological characters of wheat plants under wheat leaf rust stress

Abstract

Leaf rust caused by Puccinia triticina f.sp. tritici is the most important serious diseases attacking wheat plants. The efficacy of bioagents, i.e. Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus chitinospours, Bacillus pumilus, Trichoderma viride and Trichoderma harzianum to control leaf rust was studied. The bioagents were sprayed before and after inoculation with P. triticina by 24 h during 2016/17 and 2017/18 growing seasons. Our results showed that, B. subtilis was the best treatment followed by T. viride, where there were significant increase in incubation and latent periods of the pathogen as well as increase 1000 kernel weight (g) and yield/plot (kg). On contrary, there was significant decrease in number of pustules, pustule length, pustule width, final rust severity (%) and area under disease progress curve (AUDPC). Additionally, the treatments led to increase activity of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POX), however, electrolyte leakage was decreased compared to control. Correlation analysis gave evidence to the importance of FRS (%) as the good indicator for the study efficacy of different bioagents on control leaf rust. Application of bioagents as a source for wheat leaf rust disease control are safe on the environment in addition to the pathogen creates strains resistant to fungicides.