Sustainable Control of Onion White Rot via Vermicompost-Amended Soil and Microbial Bioagents: Effects on Plant Growth and Rhizosphere Microbiome | ||
| Assiut Journal of Agricultural Sciences | ||
| Volume 56, Issue 4, October 2025, Pages 162-182 PDF (1.87 M) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ajas.2025.419252.1531 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Karima G. Helmy; Aya H. Abo-Zaid* | ||
| Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, P.O. Box 68, Hadayek Shobra 11241, Cairo, Egypt. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| White rot disease, caused by Stromatinia cepivora (syn. Sclerotium cepivorum), presents a major challenge to the production of global onion (Allium cepa L.). This study evaluated the effectiveness of various bio-organic treatments, including vermicompost, vermicompost tea, and beneficial microbes (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma harzianum, and Bacillus thuringiensis), applied individually and in combination under laboratory (in vitro), greenhouse, and field (in vivo) conditions. The invitro assays demonstrated strong antagonistic activity by the microbial agents, with inhibition rates of 85.57%, 84.43%, and 82.57%, respectively. Under greenhouse conditions, the combination of vermicompost and EM1 achieved the highest disease suppression, reducing severity to 15.70% via foliar spraying and 17.40% via soil drenching, with corresponding control efficiencies of 73.98% and 70.87%, respectively. These treatments also significantly increased bulb diameter (32.44 and 27.33 mm, respectively). Field trials confirmed these findings, with the same combination reducing disease severity to 12.43% and achieving a control efficiency of 78.72%. In addition, the treated plants exhibited improved bulb weight (255.33 g), plant height (25.27 cm), and leaf number (12.44). Soil microbiological analysis revealed enhanced populations of fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes following bio-organic treatments, while the chemical fungicide Folicure (CC) suppressed soil microbiota. Vermicompost tea-based treatments provided moderate benefits but were less effective than solid microbe-enriched formulations. These results highlight the potential of integrated bio-organic amendments, particularly vermicompost, combined with microbial agents as sustainable alternatives to chemical fungicides for managing WRD, enhancing onion growth, and improving soil health. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Allium cepa; Biocontrol; EM1; Sclerotium cepivorum; Vermicompost | ||
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