Suppression of Fusarium Wilt of Chickpea by Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas sp. and Rhizobacterial Isolate

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the antagonistic effects of some selected rhizobacteria on Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. ciceris in a pot experiment. Rhizobacterial isolates (one isolate of Pseudomonas, eight isolates of Bacillus genera and one bacterium isolate) and two chickpea cultivars (Shendi and Burgeig) were arranged in a factorial pot experiment in CRD with four replicates. The disease incidence and severity were detected weekly. Disease reduction percentage was estimated at the end of the study. Generally, the application of rhizobacterial isolates as biological control agent reduced disease incidence compared with the control in both cultivars. The incidence in cultivar Shendi occurred at the third week after inoculation when treated with Pseudomonas stutzeri strain W28 (SA3) and Bacillus subtilis strain CM14(SA9). For the two cultivars, Shendi and Burgeig, the Geobacillus sp. CRRI-HN-1(SA2) and Bacillus sp (SA1), respectively had the highest positive effect on disease incidence and severity throughout the experiment compared with the control.  These were 45.36 and 44.82% in incidence; 55.36 and 63.89% in severity, respectively.