Optimization of different application methods of multi‐facial bacterial and fungal antagonists against sheath blight pathogen of rice, Rhizoctonia solani AG1‐IA

Relative effectiveness of seven different application methods of five native bacterial and fungal biocontrol agents (BCAs) and one fungicide (azoxystrobin) was evaluated against Rhizoctonia solani, under pot and field conditions on rice cultivar Pusa Sugandha‐5. Plants grown in pots infected with R. solani suffered a 30%–49% decrease in plant growth and yield of grain. However, treatment with BCAs reduced the adverse effect of the pathogen but significantly varied with the treatment schemes. Amongst the treatments, soil application (SA) at 20 + 40 days after planting (DAP) followed by foliar application (FA) at 60 DAP was recorded as most efficacious, and reduced the severity of disease by 42–68%, resulting in a 21–36% plant growth promotion and yield enhancement. Treatment comprising SA 20 + FA 40 DAP was next in effectiveness but statistically equal to seed priming (SP) + SA 40 DAP of treatment. Amongst the BCAs, Pseudomonas putida was shown to be the most efficient, trailed by Trichoderma harzianum, P. fluorescens, T. viride and Bacillus subtilis. Field trials under naturally infested fields have also validated the effectiveness of P. putida. The SA 20 + 40 + FA 60 DAP with P. putida and T. harzianum were found quite effective and decreased the disease severity and incidence (40–81%), and improved the grain yield (42–72%). Relatively lower ShB control was recorded with SA 20 + FA 60 DAP, however, it was statistically at par with SA 20 DAP treatment and equal to SA 20 + FA 40 DAP.