Evaluation of Different Chemical Fungicides and Microbial Antagonists to Control Storage Mycoflora of Pongamia pinnata seeds

Chemical fungicides viz. propiconazole, thiram, bayleton, copper-oxy-chloride, benomyl and mancozeb in three different concentrations were screened for their fungicidal efficacy against P. pinnata seed mycoflora viz., Penicillium sp., A. oryzae, A. ustus, A. sydowii, A. fumigatus, A. flavus, A. niger, Rhizopus sp., Fusarium sp., C. gloeosporioides and Absidia sp. in in-vitro conditions by poison food technique. Microbial antagonists viz., T. harzianum, T. virens, T. koningii, T. pilluliferum, T. viride, Pseudomonas florescence, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens species were evaluated as potential biocontrol agent by dual culture tests used for their biocontrol potential. Dual culture test was performed to assess the efficacy of these antagonistic microbes in the inhibition of these seed borne fungi. Among all fungicides, propiconazole showed maximum colony growth inhibition of all the fungal species followed by benomyl and copper-oxy-chloride. Dual culture results revealed that maximum colony growth inhibition of different seed fungi was achieved by bacterial antagonist Bacillus subtilis among different fungal and bacterial antagonists screened during the course of study.