Host plant resistance in lentil germplasm against Fusarium wilt and its in vitro management using fungicides, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, and plant extracts

• DOI: 10.33804/pp.009.02.5554
• Publication Date: 2025-05-17T17:45:31Z
• Authors: Muhammad Umar Sha...; Muhammad Ehetisha...; Muhammad Kamran; Muhammad Jawad As...; Ghulam Rabbani; Maria Ghaffar; Muhammad Shahid; Khalid Pervaiz Ak...

Lentil, locally known as “Masoor” and valued as the “poor man’s meat,” is a protein-rich food crop severely affected by wilt disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum, leading to yield losses of 10–100%. The present study was conducted to screen lentil germplasm for resistance to F. oxysporum under sick field conditions and to evaluate the efficacy of various chemicals and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs) against F. oxysporum under laboratory conditions. A total of 164 lentil genotypes were screened in the sick field. The results showed that no genotype was highly resistant; however, four genotypes viz. LPP 21133, LPP 21135, LPP 22102, and LPP 22115 were found to be resistant. Four different fungicides were evaluated at concentrations of 50 ppm and 100 ppm using the poisoned food technique. Among them, only score (difenoconazole) and topas (penconazole) were found to be the most effective against F. oxysporum at both concentrations. Six PGPR strains were also tested using the poisoned food technique. Of these, Pseudomonas fluorescens and P. aeruginosa showed effectiveness against F. oxysporum. Moreover, five different plant extracts were evaluated for their antifungal activity. Among these, only olive and neem extracts demonstrated some level of fungal growth inhibition in vitro. In conclusion, the study identified four resistant lentil genotypes and found that difenoconazole, penconazole, Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. aeruginosa, and extracts of olive and neem were effective in suppressing F. oxysporum, offering promising options for its management.