Potential of Trichoderma Isolates to Control Plant Pathogen, Leaf Rust on Different Commercial Wheat Varieties/Genotypes

Abstract

The efficiency in the treatment of leaf rust of wheat was examined for the plant leaf extracts of neem and Moringa at varied concentrations of 50, 100, and 150 ml correspondingly. All treatments decreased fungal growth in vitro by greater than 90%. The germination of spores was decreased by 91.99% in the presence of neem leaf extract at 150 ml concentration. The percentage of pustules/leaf was reduced by foliar spray of the same treatments on seedlings of the wheat plant. The wheat plants show the greatest response against the pathogen of leaf rust by plant extract second foliar application on the fourth day of infection. Spray application of 150 ml, 100 mL of neem leaf extracts, and 150 ml of Moringa leaf extracts at wheat seedlings and rust development completely prevented four days after leaf rust inoculation. The application of treatments of all extracts on wheat plants at the mature stage significantly reduced the disease (ACI, average infection coefficient) and increased the efficacy of plant extract application as compared with control but neem 150 ml treatment was most effective in all. There was a higher increase of the chlorophyll and phenol content in wheat plants.