Frequency of Application of Three Weed Pathogen Fungi Influences Goosegrass

Goosegrass (Eleusine indica L.) Gaertn) is a harmful weed in cultivated plants. One of the safe weed control techniques is biological control using weed pathogenic fungi. This research aimed to determine the best frequency of the fungi alone or in combination against the grass. Factorial randomized block design was used with two factors, namely spray frequency (one, three, or five times) and weed pathogenic fungi (control and Chaetomium sp., Curvularia sp., or Fusarium sp. alone or in combination). Observed variables included incubation period, disease intensity, AUDPC, fresh and dry weight of weeds. The results showed that spraying three times was the best frequency of the fungi in controlling goosegrass indicated by accelerating the incubation period and increasing the intensity of the disease and AUDPC, as well as reducing the fresh and dry weight of weeds respectively 14.79, 6, 14, 10.14, 38.04, and 17.17% compared to the frequency of spraying 1 time. The three fungi combination spraying three times was the best combination to control goosegrass by accelerating the incubation period, increasing disease intensity and AUDPC, and reducing weed fresh and dry weight respectively by 85.41, 69.07, 80.35, 76.44, and 64.90% compared to control.