STUDIES ON THE EFFECT AND EFFICACY OF

BIOLOGICAL SEED COATING AGAINST

MACROPHOMINA PHASEOLINA IN MAIZE J. SANDHYA RANI, P. SUJATHA*, K. JHANSI RANI, S. TRIVENI and M.V. NAGESH KUMAR

Department of Seed Science and Technology, Seed Research and Technology Centre,

Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural Uiversity, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500 030

*patta.sujatha@gmail.com, +91-9491128885

Biological seed coating is an ecological approach using selected fungal

antagonists against the soil and seed-borne pathogens and it has a potential to

provide an alternative to chemical control. The present experiment is planned to

study the compatibility of bioagents with seed protectants, its effectiveness

against test pathogen under invitro and under invivo conditions after of three

months of seed coating

Material and Methods

An experiment was conducted at the Department of Seed Science and

Technology, PJTSAU during Kharif 2017 and Rabi 2017-18 by treating maize

seed of DHM 117. It was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD)

with 4 treatments, 3 replications and kept for storage in polythene bags.

Introduction

Plate 4: SEMs of seed and root surfaces showing the presence of T. viride (hyphae and

conidia at x 1000) and B. Subtilis (bacterial cells at x250)

T1 Chemicals (Thiamethoxam @ 3 g kg-1 seed + Metalaxyl @ 2 g kg-1 seed) +

Bio-friendly Polymer (6g kg-1)

T2 T1+ Biocontrol agents (Trichoderma viride @ 5 g kg-1 ; Pseudomonas

fluorescens @ 10 g kg-1 seed; Bacillus subtilis @ 10 g kg-1 seed) +Bio-

friendly Polymer (6g kg-1)

T3 Biocontrol agents (Trichoderma viride @ 5 g kg-1 ; Pseudomonas

fluorescens @ 10 g kg-1 seed; Bacillus subtilis @ 10 g kg-1 seed) +Bio-

friendly Polymer (6g kg-1)

T4 Untreated control

Compatibility studies were conducted through poisoned food technique for

fungal biocontrol agents and though inhibition zone technique for bacterial

biocontrol agents by using Potato Dextrose Agar medium (T. viride), King’s B

medium (P. fluorescens) or Pikovskaya medium (B. megaterium). In vitro

efficacy of biocontrol agents against the test pathogen (Macrophomina

phaseolina) was studied through dual culture technique. Standard germination

test was conducted in four replications of 100 seeds each (ISTA, 2007).

Results and Discussion

Compatibility of T. viride with seed coating materials

RESULT: Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis

showed compatibility with the insecticide thiamethoxam and biofriendly

polymer. With fungicides, bioagents showed some compatibility with metalaxy

and incompatibility with sixer.

Plate1. Radial growth of T. viride in the compatibility studies through poisoned

food technique

Efficacy of bioagents against test pathogens Macrophomina phaseolina

RESULT: All bioagents showed inhibition of Macrophomina phaseolina (major

causative organism of Post Flowering Stalk Rot in maize), under invitro conditions

SCANNING ELECTRON MICROGRAPHS

RESULT: Scanning Electron Micrographs revealed the presence of biocontrol agents

on seed and root surfaces of maize even after four months of biological coating

Maize seed coated with biocontrol agents, bio friendly polymer, insecticides and

compatible fungicides retain its viability even up to 7 months of treatment and with

less incidence of storage pests and diseases thereby improving the field performance

of the crop.

Conclusion

RESULT: Biological coating with chemical protectants recorded significantly more

seed germination & longevity under laboratory conditions and final plant stand under

field conditions compared to biological seed coating without chemical protectants

References International Seed Testing Association, 2007. International Rules for Seed Testing.

Bassersdorf, Switzerland. ISTA News Bulletin, 133.

Jagadeesh V, Sujatha P, Keshavulu K & Triveni S. 2016. Studies on Biological seed

coating in pigeonpea. M. Sc. Thesis. PJTSAU.

O’Callaghan M. 2016. Microbial inoculation of seed for improved crop performance:

issues and opportunities. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 100. 5729.

Acknowledgements Authors acknowledge the support of Dr. K. Raghavendra, Centor India Agri Pvt Ltd,

Hyderabad for supplying biofriendly polymer.

Plate 2. Zones of inhibition of P. fluorescens in the compatibility studies

through inhibition zone technique

Plate3. In vitro efficacy of Trichoderma viride and Bacillus subtilis

Effect on seed germination (%) after 7 months of storage and field performance

58687888

Chemicals +

Polymer

Chemicals +

BCA + Polymer

BCA + BF

Polymer

Untreated

Control

80 77

62

80

Mai

ze S

eed

ger

min

atio

n (

%)

- 7

MA

T

Seed Coating Materials

68

68.5

69

69.5

70

70.5

71

chemicals+Polymer Chemical+BCA+

Polymer

BCA+ Polymer Untreated control

71 71

69 69

Fin

al

pla

nt

sta

nd

(N

o.)

Seed Coating Material

Figure 1: Effect of Biological seed coating on seed germination (%)

Figure 2: Effect of biological seed coating on field performance