Effect of intercrops on the intensity of basal stem rot of coconut and soil microbial population

Abstract

Growing intercrops am basal stem rot affected coconut plantations reduced the incidence of the disease. Among the intercrops, banana was very effective in containing the disease. Intercropping in diseased plantations increased the coconut yield. The population of fungi, actinomycetes and the antagonistic organism Trichoderma spp increased significantly in soils of intercropped coconut. The population of bacterial biofertilizers phosphobacteria, Azotobacter and Azospirillum was also higher in intercropped plots.