Impact of some Soil Amendments and Mycorrhiza on Cowpea Damping-Off Caused by Rhizoctonia solani

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Pathology Dept., Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ.

2 Plant Pathol. Dept., Fac. Agric., Cairo Univ.

Abstract

Addition of biochar to soil improves carbon sequestration, soil fertility and plant growth, especially when combined with
organic compounds such as compost. This greenhouse study was carried out to examine the effects of soil amendments with biochar, compost and mycorrhiza as biofertilizer alone or in combinations on cowpea plant growth parameters and on suppression of damping-off disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani. In vitro experiment showed that biochar has no direct efficacy on the tested fungus even at the higher tested concentrations. A synergistic effect was noticed when cowpea
plants were grown in soil amended with biochar in the presence of mycorrhiza. Also, results indicated that the tested soil amendments and mycorrhiza improved the growth parameters as well as macronutrient contents of cowpea.

Keywords