Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh] is a significant grain legume crop grown in India and prone to many diseases. Among different diseases of pigeonpea, stem blight caused by Phytophthora drechsleri tucker f. sp. cajani is one of the most important disease and causes drastic losses in crop yield. P. drechsleri tucker f. sp. cajani is soil borne pathogen and difficult to manage by use of fungicides alone. Therefore, in vitro study was attempted to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of nine potent bioagents viz., Trichoderma asperellum, T. harzianum, T. koningii, T. virens, T. hamatum, T. longibrachiatum, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Aspergillus niger against P. drechsleri tucker f. sp. cajani, during 2021-22, at the Department of Plant Pathology, VNMKV, Parbhani. All bioagents were found antagonistic to the fungus, but most efficient was, T. harzianum, resulted with significant maximum mycelial growth inhibition (81.87 %), of the test pathogen. The second and third inhibitoriest antagonists found were T. asperellum and A. niger with the inhibition of 72.00 % and 70.72 %, respectively

Pigeonpea, Phytophthora blight, Inhibition, Bioagents

-

J.B. Bhalerao, P.H. Ghante, S.N. Banne, J.D. Sirsat, P.B. Bhalerao and S.S. Kadam (2024). In vitro efficacy of Biocontrol Agents Against Phytophthora drechsleri Tucker f. sp. cajani, causing Stem Blight Disease of Pigeonpea. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(6): 156-158.