Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2026, Göttingen "Towards multi-functional agro-ecosystems promoting climate-resilient futures"

Integrated bioagent-organic formulations for enhancing seed quality and suppressing soil-borne pathogens in legumes under biotic stress

¹Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Plant Pathology, India
²Indian agricultural research institute, Seed Technology, India

Abstract

Sustainable management of soil-borne pathogens remains a critical challenge in legume production systems, necessitating eco-compatible alternatives to chemical fungicides. The present investigation synthesizes three field experiments evaluating bioagents (Trichoderma asperellum, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and organic formulations (Beejamrit, Jeevamrit and Herbal Kunapjal) against Macrophomina phaseolina in soybean and Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia bataticola in chickpea. A total of 12 treatments comprising seed treatment (ST) alone and in combination with soil drenching at 15, 30 and 45 DAS were assessed. Across all pathosystems, integrated application (ST + soil drenching) significantly outperformed individual seed treatments.
Field emergence increased substantially under all treatments. In soybean, emergence improved from 65% in control to 85% under T. asperellum ST + drenching and 93% in chemical check. Similarly, chickpea recorded enhancement from 47–57% (control) to 84–89% under integrated bioagent treatments and 91–92% under chemical control.
Disease incidence at 60 DAS was markedly reduced across treatments. In soybean (M. phaseolina), it declined from 58.10% (control) to 17.85% with T. asperellum ST + drenching (69.28% reduction) and 12.95% under chemical treatment. In chickpea, F. oxysporum and R. bataticola incidences were reduced to 17.55% (71.25%) and 15.95% (73.96%), respectively. Growth parameters improved substantially, with soybean recording increases from 13.8 to 28.1 cm (shoot length) and 2.3 to 3.95 g (biomass), while chickpea attained 24.85-26.25 cm shoot length and 3.45-3.95 g biomass.
Among organic formulations, Beejamrit and Herbal Kunapjal (ST + drenching) also demonstrated substantial efficacy, reducing disease by 65–71% and improving biomass over control. However, treatments involving only seed application consistently showed lower performance, highlighting the necessity of integrated application strategies.
In conclusion, T. asperellum applied as seed treatment combined with periodic soil drenching emerged as the most effective non-chemical approach, delivering disease suppression comparable to chemical fungicides while significantly enhancing plant vigour. The study strongly advocates the integration of bioagents and organic inputs as a viable, sustainable alternative for managing soil-borne diseases in legume-based cropping systems.

Keywords: Beejamrit, chickpea, dry root rot, Herbal Kunapjal, soybean, Trichoderma asperellum

Contact Address: Ashish Kumar, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Plant Pathology, Krishinagar, 482004 Jabalpur, India, e-mail: ashishashish2612gmail.com