Management of Macrophomina Disease Complex in Jute (Corchorus olitorius) by Trichoderma viride

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in R.B.D. with seven treatments in four replications with olitorius jute variety JRO524 for five consecutive years (2002-07) at the experimental farm of the Crop Research Station, Bahraich in a plot size of 3X5 m² with a row spacing of 30 cm. Recommended doses of N:P:K @ 60:30:30 kg ha^-1 were applied. The treatment with soil application of Trichoderma viride thrice, i.e., 7, 15, 30 DAS was found best in controlling seedling blight, collor rot, stem rot and root rot diseases giving minimum per cent disease incidence (1.45, 3.07, 4.70 and 4.92, respectively) as compared to control (16.12, 9.47, 16.67 and 16.34, respectively). Soil application with T. viride twice (7 and 15 DAS) showed 2.05, 4.42, 6.14 and 6.15% incidence of the same diseases and ranked second. The treatment with carbendazim 50WP @ 2g kg^−1, seed showed 8.52% seedling blight 5.24% collor rot, 6.93% stem rot and 8.56% root rot incidence. Mean dry fibre yield was highest (25.70q ha^−1) in the plots when the soil was treated with T. viride at 7, 15 and 30 DAS, while it was lowest in control (17.76q ha^−1) and in carbendazim treatment it was 22.23q ha^−1. Variation in yield was due to the variations in plant height and basal diameter.