The pure culture of T. harzianum (TMP-3) was grown in potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. The culture was used to formulate in the substrates containing a mixture of rice bran, wheat bran and mustard oilcake. The formulated T. harzianum was used for mass multiplication in two different composts viz. organic compost and vermin-compost. The formulated T. harzianum was properly mixed with organic compost and vermin-compost (@ 1:20 ratio) and kept under the shed for 7-10 days for multiplication of Trichoderma in the mixture.Based on compost materials used in composting these composts were designated as Tricho-organic-compost and Tricho-vermi-compost.

The pure cultures of the pathogenic fungi S.rolfsii was prepared on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. The inoculum of S.rolfsii was multiplied in a mixture of wheat bran, khesari bran and mustard oilcake (MOC).

The experiment was conducted in the field of Plant Pathology Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur. There were 6 treatments viz. (i) Seed treatment with Provax 200 WP @ 2.5 g/kg seed (ii) Soil amendment with organic compost @ 3 t/ha (iii) Soil amendment with Tricho-organic compost @ 3 t/ha (iv) Soil amendment with vermi-compost @ 3 t/ha, (v) Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost @ 3 t/ha and (vi) Untreated control. The unit plot size was 2 m x 3 m. RCB design was followed with 3 replications. The field soil was inoculated with S.rolfsii inocula colonized in the substrate consisting of khesari bran, wheat bran and mustard oilcake @ 100g/m² of soil and allowed the pathogen establishment in the soil for 7 days. Then the inoculated soil was again treated with organic compost, vermin-compost, Tricho-organic-compost and Tricho-vermi-compost @ 3 t/ha and properly mixed with the soils kept 7 days for Trichoderma establishment in the soil. Seeds were treated with Provax @ 2.5 g/kg seeds before seed sowing. The seeds of groundnut var. BARI Chinabadam-9 were sown in the experimental plots maintaining row to row distance of 60 cm and plant to plant distance 30 cm. Proper intercultural operations were done for better growth of groundnut in the field. No plant protecting chemicals (insecticides or fungicides) were applied in the field.

The experimental plots were routinely inspected to observe the foot and root rot/stem rotdisease initiation in the field. In case of any complexity to identify the disease, the infected plants were collected from the field and brought to the laboratory for further study. From the infected plants, the pathogens were isolated following tissue planting methods 21. After incubation, the fungi that grew over potato dextrose agar (PDA) were purified by the hyphal tip culture method. The isolated fungus was identified as S.rolfsii according to reference mycology books and manuals 2223.

Data on different parameters viz. seedling emergence, seedling mortality, shoot height, shoot weight, root length, root weight and yield of groundnut were taken. Seedling disease incidence data was started at the time of disease appeared and it was continuing until 70 days of seed sowing. Plant growth parameters shoot height, shoot weight, root length, root weight were recorded 60-65 days after seed sowing. The percent data were converted into arcsine transformation values before statistical analysis. Data were analyzed statistically by using the MSTATC program. The treatment effects were compared by applying the least significant different (LSD) test at P=0.05 level.

Under control treatment the seedling emergence was 70.33%, 61.67% and 68.00% in the first, second and third year, respectively (Table 1). Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermin-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP increased the seedling emergence to 82.67%-89.00%, 73.33%-85.00% and 80.00%-87.33% in the first, second and third year, respectively (Table 1). In every year, seedling emergence increased significantly than control due to application of different treatments. Among the treatment soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP gave higher seedling emergence followed by vermin-compost and organic compost compared to control.

On the contrary, soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermin-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP caused significant reduction in pre-emergence seedling mortality of groundnut than control. The range of pre-emergence seedling mortality was 11.00%- 17.33% in the 1^st year, 15.00%- 26.67% in second year and 12.67%-20.00% in third year due to application of different treatments. The corresponding mortality under control was 29.67%, 38.33% and 32.00% in first year, second year and third year, respectively (Table 1).

Post-emergence seedling mortality due to foot and root rot/stem rot diseases of groundnut was sharply reduced by soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermin-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP during three consecutive cropping years (Table 2). The highest seedling mortality 36.97%, 43.33% and 41.67% in the first year, second year and third year, respectively was recorded in the untreated control plot. Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermin-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP gave significantly lower seedling mortality range from 15.97%-19.36% in the first year, 7.33%-23.33% in the second year and 10.67-21.00% in the third year. The reduction of seedling mortality was from 47.63%-56.80% in first year, 52.29%-83.08% in second year and 49.60%-74.39% in third years due to various treatments as compared to untreated control(Table 2). In the 1^st year, soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost gave the highest reduction of seedling mortality by 56.80% followed by soil amendment with Tricho-organic-compost, seed treatment with Provax 200 WP, soil amendment with vermin-compost and organic-compost where the reduction of seedling mortality 56.37%, 55.26%, 47.93% and 47.63%, respectively compared to control. In the 2^nd year and 3^rd year, seed treatment with Provax 200 WP gave the highest reduction of seedling mortality by 83.08% and 74.39% , respectively followed by soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, organic-compost and vermin-compost where the reduction of seedling mortality 73.85%, 73.07%, 52.29% and 46.16%, respectively in the 2^nd year and 71.99%, 67.19%, 50.40% and 49.60%, respectively in the 3^rd year compared to control (Table 2).

Plant growth such as plant height and plant weight of groundnut was significantly enhanced by different treatments in all the years (Table 3). The lowest plant height 19.34 cm, 20.06 cm and 19.50 cm in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively was recorded under control plot. Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermin-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP increased the plant height from 26.22-34.55 cm in the 1^st year, 26.50-27.37 cm in the 2^nd year and 25.00-31.00 cm in the 3^rd year (Table 3). Among the treatment, Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost and Tricho-organic-compost gave the higher plant height in every years followed by soil amendment with vermi-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP compared to control (Table 3).

Under control treatment the plant weight of groundnut was 27.78, 26.61 and 26.63 gplant^-1 in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively. Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermi-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP increased the parameters to 34.11-47.89, 31.50-46.38 and 32.63-44.20 gplant^-1 in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively (Table 3). Every year, the plant weight of groundnut was increased significantly due to application of different treatments compared to control. Among the treatments soil amendments with Tricho-vermi-compost and Tricho-organic-compost gave the higher plant weight in all the years followed by soil amendment with vermi-compost, seed treatment with Provax 200 WP and soil amendment with organic compost. The lowest plant weight was recorded from control treatment in all the years (Table 3).

The average root length of groundnut was significantly lower in the control treatment by 8.63 cm, 9.01 cm and 9.07 cm in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively (Table 4). Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermi-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP was significantly increased the root length compared to control which was ranged from 10.80 cm-14.13 cm, 11.63 cm-13.90 cm and 11.60 cm-14.80 cm in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively (Table 4). In case of root weight, significantly higher root weight range from 2.37-3.30, 2.21-3.10 and 2.36-3.17 gplant^-1 in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively was recorded in the different treatments. The lowest root weight 1.40, 1.42 and 1.73 gplant^-1 in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively was recorded from control (Table 4).

Every year, soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, vermin-compost, organic compost and seed treatment with Provax 200 WP gave significantly higher yield of groundnut compared to control (Table 5). The lowest yield of groundnut was recorded under control by 1.36, 1.42 and 1.55 tha^-1 in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively (Table 5). The yield was increased significantly ranging from 1.77-2.12, 1.92-2.20 and 1.98-2.31 tha^-1 in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively due to application of different treatments. Among the treatments, soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost and Tricho-organic-compost gave significantly higher yield by 2.12 and 2.09 tha^-1 in the 1^st year, 2.20 and 2.17 tha^-1 in the 2^nd year and 2.31 and 2.28 tha^-1 in the 3^rd year, respectively followed by seed treatment with Provax 200 WP, vermi-compost and soil amendment with organic compost where the yield was 1.85, 1.77 and 1.78 tha^-1, respectively in the 1^st year, 2.08, 1.95 and 1.92 tha^-1 , respectively in the 2^nd year and 2.10, 1.99 and 1.98 tha^-1, respectively in the 3^rd year. Soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost gave the maximum 35.85%, 35.45% and 32.90% higher yield compared to control in the 1^st year, 2^nd year and 3^rd year, respectively followed by soil amendment with Tricho-organic-compost, seed treatment with Provax 200 WP, vermin-compost and organic compost where the yield was 34.93%, 26.49%, 23.16% and 23.60%, respectively higher in the 1^st year, 34.56%, 31.73%, 27.18% and 26.04%, respectively higher in the 2^nd year and 32.02%, 26.19%, 22.11% and 21.72%, respectively higher in the 3^rd year compared to control (Table 5).