MASS PRODUCTION AND FORMULATION OF AGRIBIOLOGICALS FROM PHOMA SP. (FGCC#48) FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF AN IMPORTANT WEED-LANTANA CAMARA L.

Biological control is the only cost-effective, environmentally benign and ecologically viable method available for the control of deadly weeds. Lantana camara is a global weed, which imposes deleterious economic effects on humans and livestock. Microbial products tend to offer a non-chemical alternative in controlling noxious, invasive and pernicious weeds like Lantana. Microbial secondary metabolites or agribiologicals are biotechnological products, which have provided new incentives for natural herbicidal products research. They are environmentally and toxicologically benign in comparison to traditional chemical herbicides. Phoma is a well-known phytopathogenic fungus known to produce an array of bioactive extracellular toxic compounds. Present work deals with screening various agrowastes for phytotoxin production at economically feasible rates followed by formulating them to facilitate their absorption and translocation within host foliar tissues. Herbicidal potential of test strain, was evaluated by shoot cut, seedling and detached leaf bioassays. Standardization and optimization of parameters for production of agribiologicals was achieved from Phoma sp. FGCC#48. Arhar bran extract proved to be the best agrowaste, producing maximum phytotoxin, with tween 80 as a formulant @ 0.5% and this combination could be developed as a potential herbicide against the pernicious weed Lantana.