Effect of Some Probiotics Consortia on Inhibition of Fusarium Yellowing and Wilting disease (Fusarium redolens Wollenweber) and Growth Promoting in Chickpeas

Fusarium redolens is one of the most important pathogen in chickpea which causes yellowing and wilting. This study was conducted to investigate the biocontrol effects of individual and combined applications of several probiotics on the pathogen control and evaluate growth promoting effects on plant.

Effects of separate and combined treatments of the fungus Trichoderma asperellum (Ta), the bacteria Alcaligenes faecalis (Af) and Delftia tsuruhatensis PIIR (Dt) and the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus intraradices (Ri) on disease severity and chickpea growth parameters in the presence of F. redolens was evaluated in a completely randomized design with four replications and 17 treatments and at greenhouse conditions.

Applying probiotics individually increased the chickpeas growth and reduced the incidence of symptoms, but combined using of them had variable effects; Some combinations (Af+Dt, Af+Ta, Dt+Ta, Af+Dt+Ta, Dt+Ri and Af+Ri) were compatible, they stimulated the growth and reduced disease severity. Treatments Ta+Ri (except shoot fresh-weight), Dt+Ri+Ta (except root-length and shoot fresh-weight), Af+Dt+Ri+Ta and Af+Dt+Ri had no effect on growth stimulation and just reduced the disease symptoms. Af+Ri+Ta had no effect on growth-promoting or reducing the disease. Treatments of Af and Dt showed the best effect on promoting the growth- and disease-reducing.

The effects of probiotics combinations in promoting plant growth or reducing the disease were not always positive, meanwhile none of combinations had a synergism with these indices in comparition with single application.