Liquid formulation of Ampelomyces quisqualis AQ003 suppresses powdery mildew of sunflower incited by Golovinomyces cichoracearum

Abstract

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oilseed crop grown in India cultivated mainly for its edible oil which is used for culinary purposes. The productivity of sunflower is declined due to biotic stresses, among which powdery mildew caused by Golovinomyces cichoracearum cause huge loss to the farming community. In the present study, an attempt was made to exploit Ampelomyces quisqualis, a pycnidial hyperparasitic fungus for the management of powdery mildew in sunflower. The results revealed that, application of liquid formulation of Ampelomyces quisqualis (0.3 %) was effective in reducing the incidence of powdery mildew of sunflower (9.73 PDI) when compared to control (58.53 PDI) besides increasing the yield. The hyperparasite reduces the incidence of powdery mildew by disrupting the conidiophore and in-turn the mycelial growth. Thus it is concluded that, Ampelomyces quisqualis can be effectively used for the management of powdery mildew of sunflower.