Harnessing microbial consortia for eco-friendly disease control and growth enhancement in coconut (Cocos nucifera) cultivation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/jefa.2026.21.1.21Keywords:
Microbial consortia, coconut diseases, basal stem rot, stem bleeding, bud rot, growth parameters, field evaluation.Abstract
The microbial consortia comprising of beneficial bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens, P. putida, Bacillus subtilis) and fungi (Trichoderma reesei, T. harzianum, T. asperellum) were evaluated over three years through pot and field trials for their potential to enhance coconut seedling growth and manage soil-borne diseases. Among the treatments, the integrated consortium with a combination of the bacterial and fungal consortia has consistently outperformed individual treatments. It significantly improved key growth parameters, including plant height, leaf length, leaf fresh weight, and root fresh weight, compared to the untreated control at 24 months after sowing. Notably, the integrated consortium achieved the highest levels of disease suppression by 100 per cent against stem bleeding, 68.42 per cent against bud rot, and 41.49 per cent against basal stem rot. The consortia conferred durable resistance to diseases and also plant-growth promoting attributes. These findings highlighted the synergistic potential of a bacterial-fungal integrated consortium in promoting coconut seedling health and resilience under field conditions.
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