Standardization of liquid formulation of Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf1 for its efficacy against Fusarium wilt of tomato

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Pf1 is studied as an effective biocontrol agent for the management of plant diseases and plant growth-promoting bacteria. Previous findings from our research group demonstrated that talc-based P. fluorescens Pf1 formulation effectively reduced several plant diseases in addition to promoting plant growth. The modernization of agro-techniques necessitates the development of a new formulation where liquid inoculants can play a significant role. Different chemicals such as trehalose, polyvinylpyrrolidone and glycerol were tested for the development of liquid formulation. Among these, glycerol amendment maintained the greater population level of P. fluorescens Pf1 up to 6 months of storage. Further, a study was conducted to standardize the dose of liquid-based formulation of Pf1 for seed treatment and seedling dip. An application of 10 ml kg (1) of seeds and 150 ml ha (1) of seedlings was found to be optimum for seed treatment and seedling root dip, respectively. The growth-promoting and antagonistic activities of Pf1 cultures of different ages were found to be greater up to 180 days of storage without much loss in viability of cells. The combination of seed treatment, seedling dip and soil drenching of liquid formulation recorded the minimum disease incidence of Fusarium wilt on tomato under glasshouse (17.33%) and field (4.81%) conditions. In addition, the liquid formulation increased the tomato fruit yield compared to untreated control under glasshouse and field conditions. Thus, this study offered successful technology for development of a liquid-based bioformulation P. fluorescens Pf1. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.