Management of banded blight disease incited by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn. In foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) by employing various biological control agents

The present study was undertaken to manage the banded blight disease of foxtail millet using biocontrol agents therefore, aimed towards developing a sustainable Integrated Disease Management (IDM). The field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2016 and 2017, at Agricultural Research Station, Vizianagaram. The disease severity and yield parameters (grain yield and straw yield) were evaluated against banded blight using different combinations of potential biocontrol agents viz., Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas flourescens and Trichoderma asperellumin the field during 2016 and 2017. Among all treatments applied treatment T7 (i.e. Soil application of value added P. flourescens + T. asperellum + B. subtilis (one kg talc formulation mixed in 25 kg FYM or vermicompost, incubated for 15 days) applied over an acre at the time of sowing) showed maximum reduction in disease intensity (24.45% and 45.33%) with higher grain and fodder yield over control.