Laboratory and Field Studies of Trichoderma harzianum, Bacterial Strains and Imazethapyr on Orobanche crenata Forsk Infesting Vicia faba

Abstract

A series of laboratory and field experiments were undertaken at the laboratories and experimental farm of Environment, Natural Resources and Desertification Research Institute, NCR and Shendi Research Station experimental farm, ARC, Sudan at season 2015-2016, to evaluate efficacy of Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus megatherium var. Phosphaticum (BMP), Rhizobium leguminosarum (TAL1399) and the herbicide imazethapyr (pursuit) against Orobanche crenata infesting faba bean. Treatments were laid out in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) in laboratory experiment and in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in the field experiments with four replicates. Results of laboratory experiments showed that T. harzianum and Imazethapyr each alone or in combination significantly reduced O. crenata germination. Field results revealed that, application of T. harzianum, Imazethapyr and Imazethapyr + BMP+TAL1399 significantly delayed the days of O. crenata emergence in Shendi and Soba sites. T. harzianum alone or in combination with bacteria or imazethapyr significantly reduced number of O. crenata emergence and increased faba bean plant height as compared to the corresponding control in Shendi and Soba sites. T. harzanium alone or in combination with T. harzanium + BMP+TAL1399 significantly increased faba bean biomass, pod/plant and grain yield and 100 seed weight insignificantly as compared to the infested control in Shendi and Soba sites.