Evaluation of organic acid producing aspergillus niger isolates for the management of fusarium wilt of chickpea

The soil-borne necrotrophic fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Ciceris (FOC)infects chickpeaand causes wilt in any stage of plant from seedling to podding. Owing to climate change and ever changing nature of the pathogen, no resistant host cultivar is sustaining long against this disease. Hence, root resident Aspergillus niger isolates as native mycoflora were evaluated as bioagent against the FOC because chemical control has long been discouraged due to its circulation in food chain. In this study, we established the biocontrol potential of organic acid producing A. niger isolates under invitro and in-vivo conditions.