In vitro bio-efficacy of botanicals and organic amendments against dry root rot of safflower

Among the diseases of safflower; dry root rot disease caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi.) Goid is one of the most destructive and wide spread disease of Safflower (Carthamous tinctorius L.) causing accountable losses of about 25-60 per cent. Eleven Botanicals evaluated in vitro were found fungistatic/antifungal against M. phaseolina. Amongs these A. sativum followed by A. cepa and V. negundo caused significantly highest mean mycelial inhibition 83.57, 72.09 and 65.85 per cent respectively. Total eight organic amendments tested in pot culture, out of which Neem seed cake, cotton seed cake and Groundnut cake (each @ 50 gm/kg soil) recorded average mortality reduction of 74.30, 67.22 and 57.57 per cent respectively in safflower cv. Bhima.