Biological management of Fusarium wilt of tomato using biofortified vermicompost

Fusarium wilt of tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici is a serious problem limiting tomato production worldwide. Biological control has emerged as one of the most promising alternatives to the chemical fungicides. Biological management of Fusarium wilt of tomato using vermicompost biofortified with selected biological control agents (BCAs) i.e. Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis was the hypothesis of this study. In vitro test showed that all the selected microbes were antagonistic to F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. The levels of different antioxidants, different plant growth parameters and incidence of disease were recorded at different time intervals in designed treatments. According to the experimental results, significant variations in reduction of disease incidence, enhancement in plant growth, yield and as well as higher stimulation of antioxidants were observed in tomato plants treated with biofortified vermicompost as compared to the control. Maximum values were recorded in plants treated with T. harzianum fortified vermicompost.