EFFECT OF SEED TREATMENT WITH SOME BOTANICALS ON SEEDLING GROWTH AND SEVERITY OF BIPOLARIS LEAF BLIGHT (Bipolaris sorokiniana) OF WHEAT

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to find out the effect of 13 botanicals on seedling growth and severity of Bipolaris leaf blight (Bipolaris sorokinianov of wheat in a net house of Sher-e-Bangia Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during November 2006 to March 2007. It was found that seed treatment with Allium cepa, A. sativum, Curcuma longa, Aegle marmelos, Lawsonia alba. Allamanda cathanica extracts caused considerable increase in germination and seedling growth. Pre-sowing treatment of seeds with all of the plant extracts caused significant reduction in disease severity over control. The severity index values under control were 1.55.2.00.3.22.4.55,4.66 and 4.66, respectively at flag leaf. booting, panicle initiation, !lowering, milk and hard dough stages of wheat plants. Seed treatment with the materials reduced disease severity within the range of 0.33-1.22,0.99-1.77. 1.11-2.00. 1.22-2.22. 1.66- 3.00 and 200-3.83. respectively for the above mentioned growth stronges of the crop.