Efficacy of Biofungicides and Botanical Extracts Against Wilt Disease in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Abstract

Three biological treatments (Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens) and three plant extracts (garlic, neem, turmeric) were tested against tomato wilt in the lab and in field trials at Kanpur, India (Kharif 2023–24), using a randomized block design with 8 treatments × 3 replications. Bacillus subtilis (T3) performed best overall largest inhibition zone (16.2 mm) and lowest disease incidence (28.6%), close to the chemical standard (T8, 22.4%). T. harzianum (T2, 32.1%) and P. fluorescens (T4, 36.4%) were also effective. Neem (38.9%) beat garlic (44.7%) and turmeric (51.2%) among the extracts. All biological agents boosted growth and yield, with T3 and T2 giving the highest yields (40.2 and 38.6 t/ha vs. 18.4 t/ha for untreated). B. subtilis and T. harzianum are recommended as the core of an eco-friendly wilt-control programme, with plant extracts as organic-friendly backups