The bio-control agent Trichodermaharzianum formulated in two different compost viz. organic compost and vermin-compost designated as Tricho-organic-compost and Tricho-vermi-compost. The effect of Tricho-vermi-compost, Tricho-organic-compost, organic compost, vermin-compost and chemical fungicide Provax 200 WP in controlling foot and root rot/stem rot disease caused by S. rolfsii of groundnut was investigated in the field of Plant Pathology Division of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute at three cropping seasons during 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Previously, seventy two isolates of T. harzianum were isolated from different location of Bangladesh and their in-vitro efficacy was tested against different soil borne pathogens including S.rolfsii in the laboratory. Few isolates of T. harzianum including TMP-3 were found more vigorous to suppress the soil borne pathogens S.rolfsii.

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).

Composts are organic major sources of plant nutrients that have been shown to increase soil organic matter and improve soil quality 24. Besides its nutrient components, composts contain high amounts of beneficial soil micro-organisms that prevent and help for controlling soil borne diseases. It has multiple mechanisms of disease suppression: increased plant vigor caused by nutrient availability, presence of large populations of beneficial microorganisms, and increased drainage 25. On the other hand compost-inhabiting microorganisms such as Trichoderma spp. produce plant growth hormones and chemical compounds which are antagonistic to various soil borne plant pathogens. The soil borne plant pathogenic fungi S. rolfsii causing foot and root rot/stem rot disease of many crops and are the widespread problem for crop production. The management of these diseases by using chemicals is hardly successful. Fungi belonging to the genus Trichoderma and bacteria such as Pseudomonas.spp, or Bacillus subtilis, are the most promising biocontrol agents against pathogenic fungi especially soil borne fungi. They stimulate plant growth, while on the other they eliminate plant pathogens by their unique antimicrobial activities, including the production of antibiotics and toxins to compete with pathogenic organisms 2627. But there are lacking of appropriate technique of mass production of bio-control agents such as Trichoderma that are the limitations for bio-fungicides application in the field. In the present study, two available composts such as organic compost and vermin-compost were used for mass formulation of antagonistic fungi T. harzianum called Tricho-vermi-compost and Tricho-organic-compost and efficacy of these two T. harzianum formulations viz. Tricho-vermi-compost and Tricho-organic-compost as well as vermi-compost, organic compost and chemical fungicide Provax 200 WP were evaluated against foot and root rot/stem rot disease caused by soil borne pathogen S. rolfsiiof groundnut under S. rolfsii inoculated field soils during three consecutive years. Results came out from the studies showed that soil amendment with Tricho-vermi-compost and Tricho-organic-compost are the best treatments for reducing foot and root rot/stem rot disease and increasing seedling emergence, plant growth parameters as well as yield of groundnut. Seed treatment with Provax also better treatment for management of foot and root rot/stem rot disease increasing plant growth parameters as well as yield of groundnut. Soil amendment with only vermi-compost and organic-compost also have significant effect on the reduction of foot and root/stem rot disease increasing plant growth parameters as well as yield of groundnut compared to control. Several researchers reported thatorganic materials such as decomposed farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure, neem cake, peat soil, vegetable waste, vegetable waste, sugarcane baggase etc. are effective for mass multiplication of bio-conytrol agent T. harzianum16171819282930. Mohiddin et al. 31 and Sajad et al. 32 reported that vermi-compost and organic manures are the best material for mass formulation and bio-mass production of T. harzianum. The use of organic amendments such as animal manure, green manure, composts and peats has been improved soil structure and fertility 333435, and decrease the incidence of disease caused by soil borne pathogens 3637. Numerous studies have indicated that several established biocontrol agents, including strains from the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Trichoderma can suppress vascular or soil borne fungal pathogens 27383940. The use of biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma spp and organic soil amendment in combination with other control methods has provided an effective control of soil borne pathogens and have the potential to improve soil properties, plant health and yield 41424344. Several workers also reported that the antagonistic activity of different Trichoderma isolates against various phtyopathogenic fungi such as R. solani, F. oxysporum and S.rolfsii and enhanced plant growth parameter such as shoot height, root length, and shoot weight 1045464748. Ristaino 49 also reported that organic soil amendments are effective against soil borne pathogenand enhanced the yield of the crop. Therefore, it may be concluded that vermi-compost and organic compost are the promising for mass multiplication bio-control agent T. harzianum. Soil treatment with formulated T. harzianum designated as Tricho-vermi-compost and Tricho-organic-compost are the best treatment for the management of foot and root rot/stem rot disease caused by soil borne fungal pathogen S. rlfsii, which alsoincreasing plant growth parameters as well as yield of groundnut. Seed treatment with chemical fungicide Provax 200 WP and soil treatment with only vermi-compost and organic compost also performed better for management foot and root rot/stem rot disease and increasing plant growth parameters as well as yield of groundnut compared to control.