Biological Management of Root Rot Disease in Solanum nigrum

The root rot disease of Solanum nigrum caused by Rhizoctonia bataticola is a serious fungal disease in Tamil Nadu. Yellowing of leaves, discolouration and rotting of roots and dark brown lesions on the stem are the prominent symptoms of root rot disease. The field experiments were conducted in the farmer’s field at Kaalipalayam, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu during 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 to find out the effect of fungicides and biocontrol agents for the management of root rot disease of S. nigrum. The results revealed that soil application of Trichoderma asperellum at 2.5 kg/ha mixed with neem cake at 250 kg/ha followed by seed treatment with T. asperellum at 4 g/kg seed was effective in managing the root rot disease and increased the leaf yield.