Five different cultivars of watermelon seeds infected with a varied degrees of
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. niveum were treated with biocontrol agents. Pseudomonas
fluorescens, Trichoderma berzienum and Chaeiomium globosum at the rate of 1x10⁸
cfu g" and talcum based formulations of (28 x 10⁷ cfug"), (19 X 10⁷ cfug") and (4 x
10⁶ cfuq') at the rate of 6 9 kg" and 10g kg" of seeds were used, respectively. The
treated seeds were evaluated for percent reduction of F. oxysporum f.sp. niveum,
seed germination, vigour index and field emergence. It was found that P. fluorescens
was more effective in reducing F. oxysporum f.sp. niveum infection followed by T.
harzianum and C. globosum than vitavax 200 treated and untreated seeds. the
formulations of P. fluorescens were effective in reducing F. oxysporum f.sp. niveum
infection and also increasing seed germination, vigour index and field emergence,
followed by T. harzianum and C. globosum treatments compared to control.