Effect of Rhizobium in controlling foot and root rot of French bean

Isolation, identification, purification, characterization and preservation of foot and root rot causal pathogens were done from the diseased plant parts of French bean & other pulse crops. Interaction studies of Rhizobium strains and three biofertilizers with foot and root rot causal pathogens were performed following different methods and seed treatment. Effect of seed treatment with selected Rhizobium strains and biofertilizers on foot and root rot, yield and yield attributes in pot trials and in the field experiment of BARI French bean 1 were conducted. The highest germination (93.56%), lowest seed rot (6.44%), lowest prevalence of F. oxysporum (6.00%) and Rhizopus sp. (4.67%) were recorded when seeds were treated with BINAR P36 which was followed by BINAR P6 in blotter test. In pot and field experiments, Rhizobium strains BINAR P36, BINAR P6 and BINA biofertilizer treated seeds reduced foot and root rot of French bean by 59.20, 49.04 and 54.58%, respectively over untreated control. BINAR P36 resulted highest vigour index, number of nodules per plant and plant height. BINAR P36 also showed highest green pod yield by 53.14% and seed yield by 61.85% over control in the field.