Field Efficacy of Biocontrol Agents in Managing Banded Sheath Blight in Little Millet and Foxtail Millet

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of selected biocontrol agents against banded sheath blight of little millet (Panicum sumatrense) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica) caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn. The study was performed under sick plot conditions using little millet variety BG-1 and foxtail millet variety SiA-3282. Bioagents, including Trichoderma viride (NCIM 1053), Pseudomonas fluorescens (NCIM 2207), and Bacillus subtilis (NCIM 2329), were applied as seed treatments and soil amendments mixed with farmyard manure (FYM) to enhance microbial establishment and soil health. Among the treatments, soil application of a combined microbial consortium (T7; 335 g each per 25 kg FYM) consistently recorded the lowest sheath blight disease incidence (17.07% in little millet, 13.15% in foxtail millet) and the highest grain yield (7.91 q ha⁻¹ and 10.92 q ha⁻¹) and fodder yield (17.28 t ha⁻¹ and 24.27 t ha⁻¹). Individual applications of T. viride (T5) and P. fluorescens (T4) were moderately effective, reducing disease intensity and improving yield, indicating the potential of single bioagents under field conditions. The superior performance of the combined treatment is likely due to synergistic mechanisms, including mycoparasitism, antibiosis, nutrient competition, and induction of systemic resistance in host plants. The study demonstrates that microbial consortia can effectively suppress banded sheath blight while enhancing crop productivity, offering a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to chemical fungicides. These findings are particularly relevant for smallholder farmers practicing low-input millet cultivation in rainfed and marginal environments. Adoption of such integrated microbial strategies could contribute to improved food security, enhanced farm productivity, and environmentally safe management of soil-borne pathogens in small millet cropping systems.