Integrated Application of Salicylic Acid and PGPRs to Control Wilt of Chickpea.

BACKGROUND

wilt and blight are the most important diseases of chickpea. The current study was designed to investigate the individual and combined effect of salicylic acid (SA) with and to suppress wilt and promote growth of chickpea varieties: Thal-2006 and Punjab-2008.

METHODS

At the time of sowing, inoculum of was applied to the soil and the incidence of wilt was recorded after 60 days. The seeds were inoculated with and prior to sowing. Chickpea plants were treated with salicylic acid at seedling stage.

RESULTS

The combination of and SA significantly increased root length (166% and 145%), shoot height (50% and 47%) and shoot biomass (300% and 233%) in cv. Thal-2006 and cv. Punjab-2008, respectively, in infected plants. Similarly, the combined treatment of + SA, also enhanced the plant growth parameters of chickpea varieties. Maximum reduction in disease severity was observed in both + SA (90% and 84%) and + SA (79% and 77%) treatments in cv. Thal-2006 and Punjab-2008, respectively. Both + SA and + SA treatments resulted in increased leaf relative water and total protein content, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and polyphenol oxidase activities in both resistant (cv. Thal-2006) and susceptible (cv. Punjab-2008) cultivars. Both treatments also significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline content in cv. Thal-2006 and Punjab-2008. Cultivar Thal-2006 was more effective than cv. Punjab-2008.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that, in combination, salicylic acid and may play an important role in controlling wilt diseases by inducing systemic resistance in chickpea.