Abstract:
Plant growth
-
promoting microbes are kn
own for protection of plants against a number
of phytopathogens. In the present study, we used
Pseudomonas
fluorescens
OKC
and
Trichoderma asperellum
T42 singly as well as in combination in chickpea (
Cicer arietinum
)
under challenge of
Fusarium oxysporum
f
. sp.
ciceris
(Foc)
. Two cultivars of chickpea
were used, viz., L550 susceptible to
Foc
and Avarodhi resistant to Foc. Root exudates
obtained from the two cultivars of chickpea were analyzed and showed higher amount of
T
otal Phenolic Content (TPC) accumula
ted in the microbe
-
treated plants compared to
microbe un
-
treated control. Maximum phenolic content was observed in exudates of OKC
treated plants in both cultivars. Interestingly, in OKC treated plants, TPC was higher in
the exudates of the susceptible cul
tivar L550 compared to the resistant cultivar Avrodhi.
Gallic acid content in the exudates also confirmed the pattern of TPC in the treatments.
Wilting due to Foc was significantly reduced in the OKC and T42 treated plants
compared to the untreated plants
and thereby showed a positive correlation between TPC
in exudates and reduction in Fusarium wilt. Higher TPC in the susceptible cultivar
compared to the resistant cultivar clearly indicates the roles of OKC and T42 in reducing
the wilt symptom whereas no w
ilting in the resistant cultivar may be explained due to
genetic factor. High total chlorophyll content in the OKC and T42 treated plants of L550
also show the role of the microbes in maintaining a good health of the Foc challenged
plants.
Keywords:
Cicer
arietinum,
Chlorophyll,
P
lant phenolics, Wilting.
