INDUCED RESISTANCE IN CUCUMBER AGAINST RHIZOCTONIA DAMPING-OFF DISEASE USING A BIOTIC AND BIOTIC AGENTS

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of three control agents, Preservepro,Biaclean , and Biohealth, separately or in combination, for inducing systemic resistance in cucumber plants against Rhizoctonia solani, the causal agent of root rot disease . It was found that the three agents induced significant reduction in pre and post emergence damping off and in disease severity compared with control. The applications of these agents in combination were found to be more efficient in reducing pre and post emergence damping off and in disease severity that attained to 0.00, 3.33, 1.33% and 3.33, 3.70, 4.00% and 3.33, 13.70, 13.33% with Preservepro + Biaclean, Preservepro + Biohealth, Biaclean +Biohealth respectively, compared with 3.33,13.70,14.67% and 6.67, 24.81, 25.33% and 13.33, 15.74, 24.0% with Preservepro, Biaclean, Biohealth respectively when applicated separately at 25 ml/pot (50mg/L), 2.5 g/Kg soil and 600 ml/Kg respectively and with 40.00, 39.50 and 72.00% in control. The reduction in disease incidence and severity was found associated with increases in root and foliage dry weights and in peroxides antioxidant enzyme in cucumber plants. These results may be promising in IPM program to manage root rot disease.