Combination of Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens for the enhanced control of Fusarium wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum infecting Arachis hypogaea L.

Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum is a devastating disease of peanut. The fungus causes severe yield loss in groundnut. Combinations of biocontrol agents that are compatible with each other is a viable approach to control the plant disease. The study was conducted to determine the beneficiary aspects of  combining different species of Trichoderma and Pseudomonasfluorescens i.e Trichoderma viride+Pseudomonas fluorescens (Tv+Pf), Trichoderma harzianum+Pseudomonas fluorescens (Th+Pf) and Trichoderma viride +Trichoderma harzianum (Tv+Th) to control the Fusarium wilt  in  biochemicalparameters such as DNA, RNA, Amino nitrogen, phenols, dihydroxy and   proline  contents of Arachis hypogaea.L. Among the three combinations tested, Trichoderma viride + Pseudomonas fluorescens (1+2%) sprayed leaves provided greater suppression of Fusariumoxysporum by increasing the levels of DNA,RNA,Amino nitrogen contents resulting  in the suppression of  Fusarium wilt  disease of Arachis hypogaea L.Maximum  reduction of  DNA, RNA, Amino nitrogen was observed in the infected Fusariumoxysporumleaves Phenol, Dihydroxy phenols and proline contents increase sharply in the treated plants treated with (Tv+Pf) as compared to the control plants. At the same time the other two combinations resulted in  enhanced control  in  comparison with  individual ones. This present study indicates that specific combination of Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens could have the greater efficacy in the inhibition of pathogen  in the biocontrol of Fusarium wilt  disease  as   compared   with   individual strains.