Integrated Management of Banded Leaf and Sheath Blight of Maize Caused by Rhizoctonia solani f. sp. sasakii

Abstract

Banded leaf and sheath blight of maize is caused by a destructive and versatile pathogen Rhizoctonia solani f. sp. sasakii. Integrated management of Banded leaf and sheath blight of maize is done by using the bioagents, botanicals and fungicides under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Under in vitro conditions among the organic enriched compost, vermicompost showed the maximum mycelial inhibition (83.8 %) at 50 % concentration and in case of bioagents, Trichoderma sp. MDA-1 showed the maximum mycelial inhibition up to 87.1 % followed by Trichoderma koningii-DMA-8 (85.7 %). Aqueous extracts of Eucalyptus globules yielded maximum mycelial inhibition of about 92.1 % at 50 % concentration. Crude extract of Eupatorium adenophorum showed 100 % mycelial inhibition at 2.5 % concentration followed by Melia azedarach with 87.8 % inhibition. Among test fungicides, bavistin at 5 ppm was found most effective to inhibit the pathogen up to 77.1 %. Tilt and companion also resulted in the 100 % mycelial inhibition at 100 ppm. Integrated practices i.e. soil amendment with vermicompost and seed treatment with bavistin @ 2.0 g/kg seed followed by 2 foliar sprays of bavistin @ 0.1 % at 15 days interval (T6) was found to be the best treatment with maximum disease reduction of 73.1 % as compared to that of control. Soil amendment with vermicompost and seed treatment with Trichoderma sp. (MDA-1) + Eupatorium adenophorum (50:50) and 2 foliar sprays of bavistin @ 0.1 % at 15 days interval (T7) recorded 53.8 % disease reduction over control.