Journal of Environmental Biology

Eco-sensitive management strategies against powdery mildew of grapes using novel microbes

R. Thosar¹, V. Chavan¹, N. Napte², G. Selvakumar³ and S. Saha¹*     

¹Department of Plant Pathology, ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune-412 307, India

²Department of Plant Pathology, Post Graduate Institute, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri-413 722, India

³Agricultural Microbiology, Division of Natural Resources, ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticulture Research, Bengaluru-560 089, India

Received: 04 March 2025                   Revised: 05 June 2025                   Accepted: 28 June 2025

*Corresponding Author Email : sujoyta@gmail.com                     *ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5367-5955

Abstract

Aim: The present study evaluated the bio-efficacy of biocontrol agents (Trichoderma asperelloides, Trichoderma afroharzianum and Bacillus licheniformis) identified by ICAR-National Research Centre for Grapes (NRCG), Pune integrated with biofertilizer formulations from ICAR- Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, i.e., Arka Microbial Consortium (AMC) and Arka Actino-Plus (AAP) for powdery mildew management.

Methodology: Field trials were conducted separately for Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. in combination with AMC and AAP to examine efficacy. Harvested fruits were analyzed for various parameters, including physiological loss in weight, pH, total soluble solids and titratable acidity.

Results: The results manifested that application of Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. with AMC and AAP significantly reduced the intensity of powdery mildew on leaves and bunches while enhancing the marketable yield. Moreover, the combination of Trichoderma spp. and Bacillus spp. with AMC and AAP positively influenced grape quality by recording the highest TSS, the lowest titratable acidity and reduced physiological loss in weight as compared to the untreated control.

Interpretation: These findings confirmed that integrating ICAR-NRCG bioagents with ICAR-IIHR formulations would provide an ecofriendly and sustainable alternative to chemical fungicides and promote resilient viticulture practices.

Key words: Arka Actino-Plus, Arka Microbial Consortium, Bacillus spp., Powdery mildew of grapes, Trichoderma spp.

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