Effectiveness of Integrated Management on Fusarium-Nematode wilt Complex Disease of Banana cv. Ney Poovan (AB): Insights from a Field Study

Banana (Musa spp.) belongs to the family Musaceae is the most important fruit crop in the world, serving as a staple food and source of income in many developing countries. There are several diseases recorded on Banana causing serious losses. Wilt complex disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense and Radopholus similis is considered as a serious threat Banana cultivation. A field experiment was conducted in a randomised complete block design with susceptible Banana variety Nay Poovan (AB) to manage the fungal-nematode wilt complex using treatments of bioagents, organic amendments and chemicals in individual as well as in integrated approach. The experiment results revealed that, Carbendazim (262.73 cm) treated plants had good plant height and it was on par with combined treatments. Among combination treatments, T11 (Neem cake + FYM +T. viride + + P. fluorescens +P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazim at 5,7,9 months) gave maximum plant height (118.00, 195.27 and 262.60 cm). The least plant height was recorded in control 89.60 cm, 140.00 cm and 188.00 cm at 90, 180 days after planting and at harvest respectively. The final population of R. similis in soil was lowest in T11 (Neem cake + FYM, T. viride+P. fluorescens+P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazim at 5,7,9 months) (6.33 /200 cc soil), followed by T6 (T. viride + P. lilacinus) (26.33 /200 cc soil), whereas control treatment has maximum (1382.00 /200 cc soil). Regarding wilt incidence, the plants treated with Neem cake + FYM, T. viride+P. fluorescens+P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazimat 5, 7, 9 months (T11) recorded less incidence (11.12%) as compared to the maximum wilt incidence of 88.89 per cent in control treatment. The next best treatment was T10 (Carbendazim 17.67 %). Individual application the maximum number of hands per bunch, bunch weight and total yield per hectare was recorded in T10(Carbendazim) 13.80, 12.75 kg and 45.75 t/ha), T2(P. Fluorescens) (9.67, 9.73 kg and 36.05 t/ha) and least was recorded in T9 (Carbofuron) (8.75, 8.25 kg and 32.50 t/ha) compare to control. Among the combined treatments, the maximum number of hands per bunch (19.75), bunch weight (16.80 kg) and total yield per hectare (26.33 t/ha) was recorded in treatment T11 (Neem cake + FYM, T. viride+P. fluorescens+P. lilacinus + Carbofuran + stem injection of Carbendazim at 5, 7, 9 months). The economic analysis revealed that, the T11 had recorded a maximum benefit cost ratio of 4.26 followed by T10 – Carbendazim (3.96) percent incidence and the least benefit cost ratio was recorded by control (1.23).