Effect of foliar application of antibiotics and gibberellic acid on the rhizosphere microflora of pea,infected withVerticillium dahliae

A study was made of the effects of foliar spray of bacitracin, chloramphenicol and gibberellic acid on the rhizosphere microflora of pea seedlings (Pisum sativum L.) infected withVerticillium dahliae. The antibiotics increased fungus and actinomycete counts and reduced the bacterial populations in the rhizosphere. Gibberellic acid at 10 ppm concentration reduced all three groups of microorganisms while at 100 ppm fungi and actinomycetes increased slightly. Invariably the rhizosphere effect was as follows: bacteria > fungi > actinomycetes. Foliar sprays also affected the percentage occurrence of particular genera of fungi in the rhizosphere; for example,Trichoderma spp. were stimulated by all the treatments, the maximum being with 10 ppm gibberellic acid, even though the total fungus count was reduced. The disease severity was markedly reduced by foliar sprays.