| Summary: | Abstract Background Orobanche crenata is an obligate root parasite belonging to Orbanchaceae. Broomrape causes great damage to the faba bean. Several attempts were applied for controlling parasitic weeds. So, the aim of this work is to study the application of Trichoderma spp. as well as three rhizobacteria species in comparison to herbicidal effect of Glyphosate (Glialka 48% WSC) for controlling broomrape infesting faba bean (Vicia faba). Materials and methods Three pot experiments were carried out in the greenhouse of the National Research Centre, Dokki, Giza, Egypt during two successive winter seasons. Trichoderma inocula were adjusted to 3.6 × 108 propagules/ml and the bacterium inocula were adjusted at 107–109 colony-forming unit (CFU)/ml. All treatments were applied, before 1 week of sowing, at rate of 50 ml per pot in experiments I and II, while 100 ml per pot in experiment III. Results Trichoderma spp. (T. harzianum, T. viride and T. vierns) as well as three rhizobacteria species (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus) enhanced the growth parameters in faba bean plants, i.e. shoot length, shoot fresh weight, shoot dry weight and leaf number in the first experiment when applied without O. crenata infection. In the second experiment, all bio-control could protect plants against O. crenata infection, where it had better juvenile number reduction, than glyphosate after 2 months of application. Both B. subtilis and B. pumilus had the highest reduction to juvenile fresh weight, while their effect was equal to herbicide for juvenile dry weight, respectively. The bio-control agents had high effects until the 4th month, but it was less than that of the herbicide. In experiment III, the bio-control agents could highly reduce the juvenile parameters after 2 months, as well as juvenile fresh weight and juvenile dry weight after 4 months, than the herbicide, respectively. The bio-control agents were effective until 6 months, but less than the herbicide effect. All bio-control treatments highly increased the plant growth parameters, than the herbicide. Conclusion The application of Trichoderma spp. as well as rhizobacteria species could play an important role in controlling broomrape in faba bean as a natural bioherbicide.
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