Effect of <i>Pseudomonas Fluorescens </i>as Biocontrol of Rice Blight Disease Cause by <i>Curvularia Lunata </i>on Rice Variety Gawal R1

<i>Curvularia lunata </i>is a soil-borne fungal pathogen that attacks rice and causes significant losses in its production, while<i> Pseudomonas fluorescens </i>is one of the common biocontrol agents used for managing foliar infection in soil born pathogen. The aim of this research was to study the effect of <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens </i>as biocontrol agent against <i>Curvularia lunata </i>on rice variety Gawal r1. The isolate were tested for pathogenicity. In a pot experiment<i>, P. </i><i>fluorescens</i><i> </i>significantly reduced the disease severity of rice blight caused by <i>C. lunata</i>. After application of a spore suspension of <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens </i>-biofungicide and Synthetic fungicide (Mancozeb) to rice seedlings inoculated with <i>C. lunata</i>, the disease severity was reduced by 2.00, 2.55, 3.2, and 4.66, respectively. In Screen house trial, the concentrations <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> concentrations at 3.0 × 10<sup>8 </sup>CFU/ml gave the best results in all plant parameters, as compared to the inoculated control with <i>C. l</i><i>unata</i>.