Identification of Pseudopestalotiopsis ampullacea as a new pathogen causing tea gray blight in India and its management strategies.

Gray blight is a serious threat to the tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] production in major tea cultivating countries including India.

Trichoderma harzianum TIND02 upregulates the expression of pathogenesis-related genes and enzymes and enhances gray blight resistance in tea.

The gray blight incited by Pestalotiopsis and allied genera is a prevalent disease affecting tea cultivation, and managing it with Trichoderma spp. is an alternative to synthetic fungicides. Plants modify their arsenal system against pathogens when they are exposed to Trichoderma spp.

Functional traits and phylogenetic analysis of top-soil inhabiting rhizobacteria associated with tea rhizospheres in North Bengal, India.

Rhizobacteria associated with cultivated crops are known to stimulate plant growth through various indirect or direct mechanisms. In recent years, the host list of plant growth promotion/promoting rhizobacteria has expanded to include bean, barley, cotton, maize, rice, vegetables, peanut, rice, wheat, and several plantation crops. However, interaction of rhizobacteria with tea plants of organic and conventional tea gardens is poorly understood.