Talc formulated fluorescent pseudomonads for sugarcane red rot suppression and enhanced yield under field conditions

Abstract

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) belonging to fluorescent pseudomonads group were isolated from sugarcane rhizosphere and sugarcane stalk tissue. Induction of systemic resistance againstColletotrichum falcatum Went causing red rot disease in sugarcane by PGPR strains were studied under field conditions. The PGPR formulation was applied three times, sett treatment while planting and soil application twice in the field. Talc formulation of five PGPR strains significantly reduced red rot disease incidence when the treated canes were challenge inoculated with pathogen. When PGPR strains were evaluated for their efficacy against the disease in endemic locations, strains ofPseudomonas fluorescens such as EP1, Pf1 and CHAO andP. putida KKM1 strongly suppressed the red rot disease development in two field trials. In addition to their efficacy against red rot disease in sugarcane, the strains significantly improved sett germination, number of millable canes (NMC) and cane yield in the field. Analysis of cane juice characters revealed that PGPR treatments have positively improved juice characters viz., sucrose %, brix % and commercial cane sugar % as compared to the control in the field. The efficacy of PGPR strains against red rot pathogen, enhanced cane and sugar yields suggest that these bacterial strains could be exploited for management of red rot disease in sugarcane.