1.

Diseases of Mango and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Anthracnose Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Powdery mildew Oidium mangiferae
Mango malformation Fusarium subglutinans (F. mangiferae)
Red rust Cephaleuros virescens
Sooty mould Capnodium mangiferae (Meliola
mangiferae)
Bacterial leaf spot Xanthomonas mangiferae -indica
Black tip (Chimney disease) Physiological disorder
Die back Lasiodiplodia theobromae
(Botryodiploidia theobromae)

1. Anthracnose:
Symptoms:
 Causes leaf spots, blossom blight, wither tip, twigs blight and fruit rot.
 Young leaves are more prone to attack, than older ones.
 Small blister like spots develop on the leaves and twigs
 Petiole, when affected, turns grey or black.
 Young leaves and tender twigs wither and die back symptoms appears.
 Affected branches ultimately dry up, black spots appear on fruits.
 The fruit pulp becomes hard, crack and decay at ripening stage.
Etiology: Anamorph (Asexual stage): Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Teleomorph (Sexual stage): Glomerella cingulata
 Mycelium is septate and hyaline in colour
 Conidiophores are hyaline and unbranched bearing one or more conidia at the apex.
 Setae are brown to black in colour and completely cover the acervulus.
 Conidia are hyaline to subhyaline, oval to oblong with rounded ends, aseptate with 1-
2 oil globules.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source of inoculum : Infected plant parts i.e. dried leaves, branches,
flowers and diseased fruit during transport and storage
 Secondary spread: The secondary spread through wind borne conidia.
Favorable Conditions
 Optimum temperature – 28oC
 A relative humidity of more than 95% for 12 hr is considered essential for infection
and development of pathogen on mango fruits.
Management:
 Over all orchard sanitation: Collection and destruction of infected plant parts.
 Pruning of the twigs which showing the dieback symptoms.
 Hot water treatment of fruits at 520 C for 30 minutes.
 Covering the fruits prior to harvest with news or brown paper bags.
 Spraying of Carbendazim (0.1%) at 15 days interval at blossom stage .
 Pre-harvest sprays of
Hexaconazole (0.1%) or
Carbendazim (0.1%) at 15 days interval
 Fruit treatment before ripening:
The whole fruits can be dipped in Carbendazim @ 0.1 % solution for 1-2 min, then
go for shade drying and finally keep it for ripening.

2. Powdery mildew:
Symptoms:
 White superficial powdery fungal growth on leaves, stalk of panicles, flowers and
young fruits.
 Infection begins from the tip of the inflorescence and spread downwards.
 The affected flowers fail to open and may fall prematurely.
 Dropping of unfertilized infected flowers leads to serious crop loss.
 The severity of the disease reduces both number and size of the fruit.
 Pea size stage is highly susceptible for powdery mildew.
Etiology: Oidium mangiferae
 Mycelium is septate, hyaline and ectophytic.
 Conidiophores simple, septate and hyaline
 Conidia are oblong, single celled, hyaline, thin walled and formed in a chain.
Disease cycle:
 Survives as dormant mycelium in affected leaves.
 Secondary spread by air borne conidia.
 Full bloom and fruit set to pea size stages were most susceptible stage.
Favourable Conditions
 Warm humid weather with cool nights,
 * Disease severity is more in cool and dry condition- The conidia of powdery fungi
contains > 70% of moisture, hence free moisture is not required for spore
germination. If any free moisture present on the host surface it has inhibitory
mechanism.
 Optimum temperature :15-30oC
Management:
 Over all orchard sanitation: Collection and destruction of infected plant debries.
 Resistant varieties: Neelum, Zaradalu, Banglora, and janardhan pasand
 Two sprays with Wettable sulphur 0.2% once before the flowers open and 2nd after
the fruit set.
 Spraying with Carbendazim (0.1%) or Hexaconazole (0.1%) or Propiconazole
(0.1%) before flowering and after fruit set (peanut stage).

3. Mango Malformation:
There are two types of malformation
a. Vegetative malformation:
 Vegetative malformation is pronounced in young seedlings.
 The affected seedlings develop abnormal vegetative growth, swollen and have very
short internodes - bunchy top appearance.
b. Floral malformation:
 The flower buds are transformed into vegetative buds.
 Large number of small leaves and stems, which are characterized by appreciably
reduced internodes and give an appearance of witches’ broom.
 The flower buds seldom open and remain dull green.
Etiology: Fusarium subglutinans (F. mangiferae)
 It produces micro and macro conidia
 Macro conidia sickle shaped , septate (2-3) and hyaline in colour
Mode of spread:
 Primary source of inoculum: The fungal mycelium survives in the affected leaves
and flowers in the form of dormant mycelium.
Also from Mango bud mite (Aceria mangiferae).
Favourable condition:
 Temperature- 25-30oC and Relative humidity > 85%.
Management:
 Diseased plants should be destroyed.
 Use of disease free planting material.
 Incidence red0075ced by spraying 100-200ppm NAA during October.
 Pruning of diseased parts along the basal 15-20 cm apparently healthy portions.
 Spraying of Carbendazim (0.1%) or Captafol (0.2%). + Dicofal (0.25 %)
* Differences between Vegetative malformation and floral malformation

Vegetative malformation Floral malformation

 Seen in seedling stage  Seen in flowering stage
 Abnormal vegetative growth, swollen  Entire floral buds are transformed into
and short internodal length of plants vegetative buds
 Bunchy top appearance  Wich’s broom appearance

4. Sooty mould: Capnodium mangifera

Symptoms:
 It is very common wherever honey dew secreting insects, viz. mango hopper, scales,
coccids and mealy bugs are found.
 Black velvety thin membranous covering on leaves, stems and fruits.
 In severe cases, trees appear black and look ugly.
Favourable conditions:
 Sugary substance secreted by the insects is favorable for development of sooty
mould.
 Incidence of insects on the shoot is directly associated with disease severity.
 High humidity proved congenial for growth of the fungi.
 The fungus grows on the leaf surface on the sugary substances secreted by Jassids,
Aphids and scale insects.
Management:
 Controlling of insect by spraying systemic insecticides.
 Spraying of Monocrotophos (0.05%) at 10-15 days intervals is quite effective.
 Spraying of Starch @ 2% is effective.
  Spray wettable sulphur +Monocrotophos + Gum Acacia (0.2+0.05+0.3%) at 15
days interval.
5. Stem end rot: Diplodia natalensis
Symptoms:
 The dark epicarp developed around the base of the pedicel.
 In the initial stage the affected area enlarges to form a circular, black patch.
 Under humid atmosphere extends rapidly and turns the whole fruit completely black
within two or three days.
 The pulp becomes brown and somewhat softer.
Favorable conditions:
 Temperature: 32-36oC
 Relative humidity: 5-100 %
Disease cycle:
 The twigs and bark of mango tree harbour the pathogen.
 With the onset of rains, fungal spore are released in the orchard which causes
infection.
 Spread by rain splash
Management:
 Prune and destroy infected twigs.
 Spray Carbendazim or Thiophanate Methyl (0.1%) or Chlorathalonil (0.2%) at
15 days interval during rainy season.

6. Bacterial leaf spot:

Symptoms:
 Symptoms are seen on leaves and fruits.
 On the leaves initially slightly water soaked yellowish, translucent irregular spots
are formed with a yellow halo.
 These spots fuse; leaves turn yellow and drop down prematurely.
 On fruits, water soaked lesion develop and turn dark brown to black.
 The affected fruits become yellow with deep cracks severely affected fruits are shed
prematurely.
Etiology: Xanthomonas campestris pv.mangiferae indica
 The Bacterium is Gram –ve, rod shaped and motile
 Single polar flagellum
Disease cycle:
 Primary infection is through infected leaves, branches, and fruits.
 Secondary spread occurs by wind and rain splash.
Management:
 Orchard sanitation and seedling certification.
 Spraying chemicals like Streptocycline (500 ppm) + CoC (0.25 %) 1 st spray has to be
given at onset of disease on the young leaves.
 Use biocontrol agent: Bacillus coagulans (5-10g/l)
 Resistant variety: Bombay green.

7. Red rust: Cephaleuros virescens

Symptoms:
 Algae attacks foliage and young twigs.
 Rusty spots appear on leaves, initially as circular, slightly elevated and coalesce to
form irregular spots.
 Initially the spots are greenish-grey in colour and variety in texture, but later on the
surface bears reddish-brown appearance.
Disease cycle:
 Primary infection: Zoospores.
 Diseased leaves serve as primary inoculum.
 Rain water has been found to be a source of spread of the algae.
 Infection has been found to be increased during rainy season.
 Common in close plantations.
Management:
 Avoid close plantations.
 Spray Bordeaux mixture (1%) or Copper oxychloride (0.3%).

8. Black tip/Chimney disease: Physiological disorder

Symptoms:
 Symptoms become visible when the mango fruits attain some size.
 Small etiolated area develops near the distal end of the fruit.
 Which gradually turns to black and covers the tip of the fruit completely.
 The black area remains hard and the growth of the fruit is checked.
 This disease due to so2 toxicity
Management:
 It can be can be minimized by the spray of borax (0.1%).
 The first spray should be done positively at pea stage.
 Planting of mango orchard in north-south direction and 5-6 km away from the brick
kilns reduce the incidence.

List of minor disease:

a) Loranthus: Dendroporthe falcata (Partial stem parasite) non parasitic disease.
b) Stem end rot: Diplodia natalensis
c) Black band: Rhinocladium corticolum
d) Spongy tissue: Severe in Alphanso genotypes due to Ca deficiency.
e) Flat limb: unknown etiology.
 2. Diseases of citrus and their management

Disease Causal agent/Pathogen

Citrus gummosis Phytophthora citropthera, P. parasitica, P. palmivora
Canker Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri
Citrus Greening Candidatus liberobacter asiaticum
Citrus tristeza/Quick decline Citrus tristeza virus
Exocortis Citrus exocortis viriod
Slow decline Tylenchulus semipenetrans
Minor diseases
Anthracnose/Die back Colletotrichum gleosporioides
Citrus scab Elsinoe fawcetti
Powdery Mildew Odium tingitanium
Sooty mould Capnodium sp.

1. Citrus gummosis: Phytophthora citropthera, P. parasitica, P. palmivora

Symptoms:
 Dark staining of bark which progresses into the wood.
 Bark at the base is destroyed resulting in girdling and death of the tree.
 Infected parts dries, shrinks, cracks and shreds in lengthwise vertical strips.
 Later profuse exudation of gum from the infected bark : (hence the name
gummosis)
 Infection extends to crown roots and rotting of roots.
Etiology: Phytophthora parasitica and
Phytophthora citrophthora
Sporangiophores are slender and irregularly or symphodially branched. Sporangia are
papillate and oval to spherical and measure 40x38 µm. Oospores are thick and 20-25 µm
diameter.
Disease cycle:
 PSI: The fungus over winters in the soil either through oospores or clamydospores.
 Sporangia spread by splashing rain water, irrigation water and wind.
 Pathogen is soil inhabitant.
Epidemiology:
 Susceptible root stock
 Hill drained soil
 Low budding
 High soil moisture
 Acid soil
Management:
 *Use resistant sour orange rootstocks for propagation.
 Injuries to crown roots or base of stem during cultural operations should be
avoided.
 High budding about 30-45 cm above the ground
 Painting Bordeaux paste with ZnSO4, CuSO4, lime (5:1:4) with the consistency of
a wash.
 Protect the cut surface with Bordeaux paste followed by spraying of Fosetyl-AL
reduces the spread.

2. Citrus Canker- Xanthomonas axonapodis pv. citri

Symptoms:
 The disease appears as raised, rough, corky brownish pustules with characteristic
halo on leaves.
 The canker-like appearance is more marked on fruits than on leaves.
 Under severe infection canker lesion also appear on stem without yellow halo.
 The plants are stunted and fruits yield also are reduced considerably.
 Acid lime, lemon and grapefruit are affected and rare on sweet oranges and
Mandarins.
Etiology: Xanthomonas campestris pv. citri
It is a Gram -ve, rod shape bacteria measuring about 1.5-2.0 x 0.5-0.75 µm;
monotrichous flagellum and produce yellow circular colonies on culture.
Disease cycle:
 Canker infected leaves, twigs and branches constitutes the source of inoculation to
spread the disease from one season to another.
 Secondary spread within the garden is by means of drizzling rains and insect
vectors such as Phyllocnistis citrella and Thosconysa citri (citrus leaf miners).
Epidemiology:
 Pre monsoon rains
 Strong winds
 Presence of leaf miners
 Temperature: 28-300c
Management:
 Field sanitation
 Prune the infected twigs before the onset of monsoon.
 Control leaf miner when young flush is produced.
 Streptocycline 500-1000 ppm + Copper oxychloride 0.2% at fortnight intervals.
 Resistant varieties: Seed less lime
 Biological control: Pseudomonas fluorescence, Bacillus subtilis used @ 10 g/lit.

3. Citrus greening/Haunglongbing: Candidatus liberobacter asiaticum

Symptoms:
 Yellowing of leaves
 Reduction in leaf size
 Circular green islands on chlorotic areas
 * Fruit: reduction in size, under-developed, lopsided and poorly colored
Candidatus liberobacter asiaticum
 Phloem limited fastidious bacterium (PLFB).
 Gram –ve
Transmission:
 Infected vegetative propagation budwood
 Psyllid vector - Diaphorina citri
 Dodder transmission
Management:
 Use certified Bud woods
 Remove unproductive trees
 Insect management : Acephate 0.1% spray

4. Citrus tristeza/Quick decline: Citrus tristeza virus

Symptoms:
 The infected trees usually show general decline
 Leaves become dull and chlorotic and twigs start drying from tip downwards.
  Roots decay, twigs die back, and fruit set diminishes; only skeleton remains.
 Fine pitting of inner face of bark of sour orange stock.
 Acid lime leaves show large number of vein flecks.
 Fruits are small in size, yield very much reduced.
Disease cycle:
 Source of inoculum: Infected bud woods.
 Transmission : Brown citrus aphid Toxoptera citricida and in Semi persistent
manner
 * Kagzi lime used as indicator plant
Management:
 Strict quarantine measures to be enforced.
 Use certified bud wood free of CTV.
 Remove all diseased trees as and when the disease is noticed.
 Use resistant root stocks : Rough lemon and Cleopatra mandarin
 Cross protection through mild strains
 Insect management: Monocrotophos 0.05%

5. Exocortis: Citrus exocortis viriod

Symptoms:
 Vertical cracking and scaling of bark in the entire root stock.
 Yellow blotching twigs, extreme stunting of plant.
 Affects only Rangpur lime, trifoliate orange and citrange root stocks.
Etiology: Citrus Exocortis Viroid (CEVd)
It is nacked virus particle (without protein coat) consisting of 371 nucleotides
arranged in a circular or linear form.
Transmission:
 Through infected bud wood and contaminated tools.
 Not through vectors and seed.
Management:
 Use virus-free certified budwood
 Use tolerant stocks like rough lemon, cleopatra.
 Periodically wash budding knife with Tisodium Phosphate solution.
6. Citrus Nematode (Slow decline): Tylenchulus semipenetrans
Symptoms:
 Affected trees show reduced terminal growth, chlorosis and shedding of leaves.
 Die back of branches and reduction in size and number of fruits.
 Symptoms first appear on upper portion of tree later extend to lower portion.
 Infected roots shows necrosis, rust brown colour.
Life cycle:
 Tylenchulus semipenetrans – J2 Infective stage
 Sedentary endoparasitic nematode
 Also infects Olive, trifolie orange
Management:
 Nurseries should never established on near old citrus orchards.
 Application of Neem cake along with FYM
 Interculture of Onion, Gralic or Marigold
 Carbofuron @ 10g/plant

*Differences between Quick decline and slow decline

Quick decline/Citrus tristeza Slow decline

Caused by virus- Citrus tristeza virus Nematode- Tylenchulus semipenetrans
Leaves become dull, chloratic and twig Reduced leaf size, chlorosis and shedding of
die back leaves
Bark pitting or honey combing and vein Die back of areal parts and necrosis of roots
flecking are common symptom
Citrus tristeza virus transmitted by Tylenchulus semipenetrans sedentary
Aphids- Toxotpera citridus nematode, J2 stage is infective
 3. Diseases of Grapes and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Downy mildew Plasmopara viticola

Powdery mildew Uncinula necator
Anthracnose / Birds eye spot Elsinoe ampelina
Bacterial leaf spot Pseudomonas viticola
Rust Phakopsora vitis
Grapevine fan leaf Grapevine fan leaf Virus
Minor Diseases
Alternaria leaf spot Alternaria vitis
Black rot Guignardia bidwelli
Pierce disease Phytoplasm like organisms
Grey mould rot Botrytis cinerea

1. Downy mildew: Plasmopara viticola

Economic importance:
 Since 1875, this disease caused heavy losses in France to wine industry.
 It led to discovery of Bordeaux mixture by Prof. Millardet in 1885.
Symptoms:
 Symptoms appear on all aerial and tender parts of the vine.
 Symptoms are more pronounced on leaves, young shoots and immature berries.
 Irregular, yellowish, translucent spots on the upper surface of the leaves.
 On lower surface, dirty white, powdery growth of fungus appears.
 Dwarfing of tender shoots and premature defoliation.
 Infected berries turn hard, bluish green and then brown- Mummified fruits
 Later infection of berries results in soft rot symptoms.
Etiology: Plasmopara viticola
Mycelium is coenocytic, hyaline and inter cellular. Haustoria are spherical or pear
shaped. Sporangiophores (conidiophores) branched at right angles to the main axis.
Sporangia are hyaline, oval or lemon shaped with apical papille. Zoospores are pear
shaped and have two apical flagella.
Disease cycle:
Primary source of inoculum:
 Oospores present in the infected leaves, shoots and berries.
 Also as dormant mycelium in infected twigs.
Secondary spread:
 Sporangia or zoospores by wind and rain splash
Favourable conditions:
 Disease severity is more under cool and wet condition.
 Optimum temperature : 20-22°C
 Relative humidity : 80-100 %
Management:
 Sanitation: Remove all diseased plant debris, fruits and burn.
 Training: Leaves should not be near to the ground.
 Proper spacing
 Remove leaves around the berry cluster to avoid microclimate
 After pruning spray with Bordeaux mixture (1%)
 Fungicidal spray
 Metalaxy 8% + Mancozeb 64% (Ridomil-MZ) 2g/ltr
 Fosetyl-Al 0.2% (Aliette)
 Azoxystrobin 25 SC (1ml/l)
 Resistant genotypes: Amber queen, Champion, Dogridge, Red sulthan, etc.,

2. Powdery mildew: Uncinula necator

Symptoms :
 The disease attacks the vines at any stage of their growth.
 All the aerial parts are attacked; cluster and berry infections usually appear first.
 Powdery growth mostly on the upper surface of the leaves.
 Floral infection results in shedding of flowers and poor fruit set.
 On older berries, infection results in the cracking of skin of the berries.
 * Infected berries tend to be higher in acid content than healthy fruits and are
unsuitable for wine preparation.
Etiology: Uncinula necator (Anamorph: Oidium tuckeri)
Mycelium is entirely superficial, grayish white, septate; conidiophores hyaline, short
and club shaped; conidia ovate to oblong, non septate, borne in chains. Cleistothecia (sexual
fruiting bodies) black, globose with appendages coiled at tips; Asci ovate with eight
ascospores which are hyaline, oval and single celled.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source of inoculum: Through dormant mycelium and conidia present in
the infected shoots and buds.
 Secondary spread: through air-borne conidia
Favourable conditions :
 Cool and dry weather
 Relative humidity: Up to 90% favour disease incidence
Management:
 Pruning: Avoid dense growth of vines and overcrowding.
 Fungicide spray:
Wettable sulpher 0.2 %, or Tridemorph 0.1%, or Hexaconazole 0.1%,
 BioFungicide:
 AQ-10 (USA), BioDewcon (India) - Ampelomyces quisqualis
 Ampelomyces quisqualis (1000 ml) + Neem oil (500 ml) in 250 lit of water.
 Resistant varieties : Red Sultana, Saint George and Black prince

3. Anthracnose / Birds eye disease: Elsinoe ampelina

(P.S: Gloeosporium ampelophagum or Sphaceloma ampelinum)
Symptoms:
 Symptoms visible on leaves, stem, tendrils and berries.
 Young shoots and fruits are more susceptible than leaves.
 Circular, greyish black spots or red spots with yellow halo appear.
 Later the centre of the spot becomes grey, sunken and fall off resulting in a symptom
called ‘Shot hole’.
 Sunken spots with ashy grey centre and dark margin on fruits (Birds eye
symptom).
 Mummification and shedding of berries.
Etiology: Anamorph: Sphaceloma ampelinum
Gloesporium ampelophagum
Teleomorph: Elsinoe ampelina
Mycelium hyaline, septate, branched; Acervuli appears as conidial masses on the
spots. Conidiophores are 1-2 septate, cylindrical, hyaline or pale brown. Conidia are
aseptate, hyaline, oval and measure 5-6 x 2-3 µm.
Perithecia (pseudothecia) are formed in old cankers on the shoots. Asci are globose
scattered in the fruiting body. Ascospores are hyaline and 3 septate (four celled).
Disease cycle:
 Survives as dormant mycelium in the infected stem-cankers
 Secondary spread is by means of conidia formed in the leaf and other plant parts
which are easily disseminated by wind and splashed rain.
Favourable conditions:
 Warm wet weather
 Low lying and badly drained soils.
 *Anab-e-shahi is susceptible.
Management:
 Remove all infected, pruned plant debris and burn.
 Fungicide spray: Ziram @ 0.2% or Carbendazim or Hexaconazole @ 0.1%
 Resistant varieties : Bangalore blue, golden queen, etc.,

4. Bacterial leaf spot: Pseudomonas viticola

 Anab-e shahi and Thomson seed less varieties are highly susceptible
Symptoms:
 Symptoms appear on foliage and twigs
 Initially yellowish, circular, translucent spots develop along the midrib and veins
of leaves
 Necrotic areas along midrib and veins is the characteristic symptom
 Leaves turn yellow, shrivelled and shed pre-maturely.
Etiology: Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola
Bacterium is Gram -ve rod with rounded ends motile by single polar flagellum and
0.4 1.2 x 2-3 µm in size.
Disease cycle:
 Bacterium survives in the soil and plant debris.
 Secondary spread through wind splashed rain.
Management:
 Prune out and destroy infected plant debris
 Spraying Streptomycin 100 ppm along with copper fungicides
5. Rust: Phakopsora vitis

 Cultivar Black prince is highly susceptible.

Symptoms:
 The presence of clustered, small, yellow to orange rusty pustules on the underside
of mature grapevine leaves.
 Small, dark spots also appear on the upper surface.
 Under severe infection, the entire leaf surface is covered by sori and premature
defoliation occurs
 The disease eventually lead to weakening of the vine due to poor shoot growth
reduction in quantity and quality of fruit.
Disease cycle:
 Infected leaves are acts as primary source of inoculums for pathogen
 Secondary spread through wind borne uredospores.
Management:
 Dense growth of vines to be avoided.
 Timely pruning of vines
 Plantavax @ 0.2% or Dinocap (Karathane) 0.1%
 Spray at Shoot initiation
 At flowering
 At 40-45 days later

6. Fanleaf disease: Grapevine fanleaf Virus

Symptoms:
 Fan-shaped leaves mimicking the fan (Hence the name of the disease) with toothed
margins, vein-banding and yellow mosaic symptoms
 Infected grapevines produced small clusters with poor fruit set, irregular ripening
of shot and berries.
Transmission:
 Xiphinema index, plant parasitic dagger nematode transmits grape fanleaf virus
(GFLV).
Management:
 Selection of planting material from nematode free nurseries.
 Soil application of Neem or castor cake.
 Application of Carbofuran 3G @ 50 g / vine
 Preplant soil fumigation with DD mixture and using clean nursery stocks.
 In infested orchards, soil drenching with carbofuran 3G or Phorate
 Use of trap crops and antagonistic crops. Planting Tagetes erecta
 4. Diseases of Apple and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Apple scab Venturia inaequalis
Powdery mildew Podosphaera leucotricha
Collar rot/crown rot Phytopthora cactorum
Fire blight Erwinia amylovora
Crown gall Agrobacterium tumefaciens

1. Apple scab: Venturia inaequalis

Symptoms:
 Symptoms appear on leaves, petioles, flowers, sepals, fruits, pedicels, young shoots
 Initially water-soaked areas which develop into velvety, green to olive- brown
lesions.
 Affected tissues become distorted and puckered and the leaf lesions often become
cracked and torn.
 Lesions on the leaves and fruit are generally blistered and "scabby" in appearance,
with a distinct margin.
 Severely infected leaves or fruit will often drop from the tree.
 Infection which causes significant defoliation
Etiology: Anamorph: Venturia inaequlis
Telomorph: Spilocaea pomi
Pseudothecia are dark brown to black and spherical. 90-150 µm in diameter, having
short beak and distinct ostiole. Asci are cylindrical, with thin wall is which is bitunicate and
eight spored. Ascospores are yellowish green, unequally bicelled, with upper cell smaller
and wider than the lower.
Conidiophores are septae and arises from the stroma and bear conidia in succession.
Conidia single celled, ovate with a truncate base and pointed apex and smoky brown in
colour.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus overwinters on infected leaves on the orchard
 Ascospores disseminated by wind during rainy periods.
 Moisture is required in order for the spores to germinate.
 The number of hours of leaf wetness and temperature are important for infection.

1
Epidemiology
 Maturation of the ascospores
 Susceptible host
 Repetition of the conidial cycle
 Temperature: 16-20oc
Management:
1) Collect all infected leaves in winter and burn
2) Spray schedule
 1st spray - Silver tip stage 0.2% captofol (or)
0.3% captan (or)
0.2% mancozeb
 II nd spray pinkbud 0.2% captan (or)
0.2% mancozeb
 III rd spray petal ball 0.2% carbendazim
 IV th spray - after 10 days 0.2 Captan & Mancozeb 0.3
 Vth spray - 15 days after
 Fruit set 0.15% captafol
3) Resistant varieties: Mav free, freedom, etc.,

2. Powdery mildew: Podosphaera leucotricha

Symptoms:
 Attacks buds, blossoms, leaves, new shoots, and fruits
 Symptoms commonly appear first on the lower surface of the leaves.
 Infected leaves cover with powdery, white spores and mycelium.
 Chlorotic spots appear on the upper surface of the leaves
 Infections on the blossom - shriveled and fail to produce fruit
 * Young fruit will cause netlike russetting and discoloration
 Mildew reduces both apple yield and quality.
Etiology: Telemorph: Podosphaera leucotricha
Anamorph: Oidium farinosum
Mycelium is ectophytic, hyaline, conidiophores arises from mycelium bears a chain
of conidia which are oval, hyaline and measure 25-30 x 10-12 µm.
Cleistothecia are globose, black with two types of appendages on its surface (basal
short and apical long). Each cleistothecia contain a single ascus which are oblong or

2
subglobose. Eight ascospores are produced in each ascus.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus overwinters in the dormant buds
 Primary infection : Infected leaves shoots, blossoms, fruit
 Secondary spread: Air borne conidia
Epidemiology:
 Relative Humidity: 70%
 Temperature - 10 - 25°C
Management:
 Remove and destroy the infected plant parts
 Spray 0.1% wettable sulphur or 0.1% karathane

3. Fire blight: Erwinia amylovora

Symptoms:
 Symptoms appear on blossoms, fruits, shoots, branches and limbs.
 Affected parts appear to be scorched by fire.
 A watery ooze may be exuded from infected plant parts.
 The disease may kill entire trees.
 Fruits which are infected early remain small and appear shrivelled, dark and „water
soaked‟ will remain attached to the cluster.
 Infection of the vegetative shoots often results in the bending of the shoot tip to
resemble as „shepherd’s crook’.
Disease cycle:
 The bacteria overwinters in bark tissues along the edges of cankers caused by
infection in previous years.
 The bacteria multiplies in the spring and disseminated by rain and insects.
 The bacteria penetrates through natural openings (Nectrathodes) or wounds.
 Secondary infection arises from ooze from fresh infections
Management :
 Resistant cultivars: Red and Golden Delicious
 Using disease free root stocks
 Destruction of crop debris
 Disinfestation of pruning tools with a bleach or alcohol solution
 Spraying Streptomycin + Copper oxychloride

3
4. Crown gall: Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Symptoms:
 Crown gall is identified by overgrowths appearing as galls on roots and at the base
or “crown”
 Occasionally, galls also seen aboveground on trunks or branches.
 Young galls are light in color and with age become dark and hard, ½ inch to 3 or 4
inches in diameter
 They may disrupt the flow of water and nutrients.
 Trees show reduced growth, an unhealthy appearance
Disease cycle:
 This bacterium can survive in the soils
 Soil may become contaminated if planted with infected nursery stock.
 The bacterium can also survive on the surface of roots (rhizoplane) of many orchard
weeds.
 Bacterium enter through wounds caused by tillage operations, equipment, injury
from root-feeding insects and nematodes
 Host range: Pear, stone fruit and nut trees, grapevines, roses, Chrysanthemum spp.
Management:
 Rouging of the diseased plants to avoid spread of disease
 Use disease free planting stock
 Destruction of weeds : Morning glory (Ipomoea leptphylla) act as reservoir of
A. tumefaciens
 Copper Oxychloride as eradicant
 Biocontro agent: A. radiobacter – Agrocin 84 antibiotic
Disorders:
1. Internal browning: Low temp. 0.5-0o C during storage
2. Bitter pit: Low level of calcium

4
 5. Diseases of Pineapple and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Heart rot/stem rot/root rot Phytophthora parasitica
Basal rot / Leaf rot Ceratocystis paradoxa
/ Fruit rot /Black rot
Minor diseases
Anthracnose Collectotrichum ananas
Root-knot nematode: Meloidogyne sp.

1. Heart rot or Stem rot or Root rot : Phytophthora parasitica

(Phytophthora parasitica nicotiane, P. cinnomommi)
Symptoms:
 Initial infection appears on apical end of the stem, at the leaf base, at the basal end
of the stem or at the roots.
 Later stages, withering and discolouration to yellowish pink and brown are
observed.
 The stem may show brownish discolouration of the margins between healthy and
diseased tissue.
 Complete rotting of the central portion of the stem.
 The top leaves turn brown and basal portion of leaves shows sign of rotting with foul
odour.
Etiology: Phytophthara parasitica
P. cinnamomi
Refer etiology and disease cycle as explained in citrus gummosis
Pathogen Survival:
 The oospores of Phytophthora can remain dormant and survive in the soil for several
years.
Secondary spread:
 Through irrigation water
Management:
 Careful field selection
 Planting in raised beds (20 cm height)
 Avoid excessive deep planting
 Constructing drains in the field

5
  Application of lime to soil
 After planting drenching or spraying with Metalaxyl MZ @ 0.2%

2. Basal rot (Butt rot) and white leaf spot and Fruit rot
(Ceratocystis paradoxa: (Chalara paradoxa) )
Symptoms:
 The disease is characterized by a soft watery rot that starts at the point of
detachment of the fruit.
 A grey to black rot of the soft butt tissue develops, leaving stringy fibers and a cavity
at the base of the stem.
 The pathogen can cause white, yellow to brown leaf spot or blister in the field with
several centimeters length.
 Later, they dry to become papery and straw coloured.
 Infected plants can easily be broken off at ground level.
Fruit rot (white blisters)
 Infestation starts at the stalk-end of the fruit, resulting in small, circular, water-
soaked spots that are very soft.
 Gradually, fruit rots and emits foul smell.
White leaf spot
Symptoms:
 Small brown spots appear on leaf
 During wet weather spots enlarge and spread to the leaf tip.
 Fine weather dries affected area leaving cream colored or white papery spots and
margins remain brown.
Etiology: Ceratocystis paradoxa
Anamorph: Thielaviopsis paradoxa
Mycelium is hyaline or light brown in colour. Fungus produces both micro and
macro conidia. Microconidna are borne on microconidiophores in chains. These are of two
types hyaline and light brown. Hyaline Spores are cylindrical to oval and thin walled Brown
ones are barrel shaped and thick walled. Macroconidia are produced on macrocomdiophores
in long chains. These are oval, dark brown and thick walled.
Perithicia are globose, light brown with long neck and numerous aseptate appendages
arranged on its body.

6
Disease cycle:
 The fungus survives as chlamydospores in soil and decaying pineapple residues.
 The fungus commonly infects plants through fresh wounds.
 Dispersal through wind, rain splash and irrigation water.
Management:
 The diseased plants must be destroyed.
 Suckers for propagation should never be collected from the infested area.
 Dipping planting materials in 0.3% Dithane Z-78 or by spraying on leaves.
 Dipping the fruits after harvest in Carbendazim @ 0.1% for 30 min. then go for shade
dry and pack it.
 Copper fungicide should not be used in pineapple as they cause leaf scorching.

7
 6. Diseases of Sapota and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Phavophleospora leaf spot Phavophleospora indica
Pestalotiopsis leaf spot Pestalotiopsis versicolor
Flat limb Botryodiplodia theobromae
Wilt Fusarium oxysporum +
Meloidognae incognita
Red rust Cephaleuros virescens

1. Phavophleospora leaf spot: Phavophleospora indica

Symptoms:
 Numerous, small, circular, pinkish to reddish brown, conspicuous spots with
whitish center.
 On mature leaves spots coalesce and leaves drop prematurely
Favourable conditions:
 Severe during Oct-Dec
 Fungus grows best at 250 C and 90% RH
 * Susceptible varieties: Cricket ball, Kirthabarthi, Mimusops hexandra
Management:
 Avoid susceptible varieties
 Spray [email protected]% or [email protected]% or [email protected]%

2. Pestalotiopsis leaf spot – Pestalotiopsis versicolor

(Syn: Pestalotia versicolor, P. sapotae and P. podocarpi)
Symptoms:
 Small, reddish brown specks on leaf lamina
 Spots enlarge, become circular measuring 1-3 mm in diameter
 Fully developed spots show grayish centre and dark brown to reddish margin
 Minute black fruiting bodies (pycnidia) are seen in the center of spots
Management:
 Spray [email protected]%
3. Flat limb – Botryodiplodia theobromae
 First reported from Maharashtra and Gujarat by Khurana and Singh in 1972
Symptoms:
 Branches of affected trees become flat and twisted
 Leaves become thin, small and yellow
 Cluster of leaves and flowers on affected twigs
 Flowers remain infertile/sterile
 If fruits are set, they are undersized, hard and fail to ripen
 Foliage and fruits fall prematurely
Management:
 Pruning of affected branches followed by Captan or Zineb (0.3%) spray
 7. DISEASES OF BER AND FIG

1. BER POWDERY MILDEW:

Symptoms:
 Disease first appears on young developing shoots in the form of white powdery mass
on leaves which result in defoliation under severe infection.
 Small white spots appear on young fruits which later covers the whole fruit surface
and finally causes brown discolouration.
 Affected fruits drop off prematurely or remain under developed.
Etiology: Oidium erysiphoides f sp. ziziphi
Mycelium is hyaline, ectophytic; Conidiophores are hyaline and bears conidia in
chains. Conidia are cylindrical, l-celled and hyaline.
Disease cycle: Fungus over winters in dormant mycelium on the tree trunks and fallen
fruits. Secondary spread is through airborne conidia.
Management:
 Pruning in the month of 2nd FN of April
 Spraying with chemicals:
Triadimefon (0.1 %) or Wettable sulphur (0.3%) or Hexaconazole (0.1%)
 Resistant varieties: Umran, Illaichi, Safeda rohtak, etc.,

2. FIG RUST:
Symptoms:
 Appearance of small circular brown to black raised lesions (pustules) on lower
surface of the leaves.
 In later stages uredosori are converted into teliosori which are less powdery than
uredosori.
 Severe infection leads to defoliation and reduces the fruit size and number.
Etiology: Cerotelium fici
Urediospores borne singly, echinulate, Teliospores l-celled, arranged in chains. Wall
is pale.
Management:
 Fallow recommended spacing
 Pruning of infected leaves and fruits
 Chemicals: Hexaconazole (0.1%) or Propiconazole (0.1%)
a. Ber rust: Phakopsora ziziphi f.sp. vulgaris
b. Ber black leaf spot: Isariopsis indica f.sp. ziziphi
 Diseases of Wheat and their management

Stem Rust Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici

Leaf Rust Puccinia recondita
Stripe Rust Puccinia striiformis
Loose Smut Ustilago tritici
Kernal Bunt Tilletia indica (syn. Neovossia indica)
Tundu disease or yellow slime disease Anguina tritici (Nematode) + Corynebacterium tritici
Powdery Mildew Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici
Soil-Borne Wheat Mosaic: Soil-Borne Wheat Mosaic virus

1. Black or stem rust: Puccinia graminis tritici

Symptoms
 The first symptom of rust infection is flecking of leaves, leaf sheaths, culms and floral
structures.
 Appearance of reddish-brown-black pustules on stems, leaves, leaf sheath and floral
structures.
 When large number of uredosori burst, other affected parts appear brownish-like that
of a rusted iron.
 In case of severe infections, plants are stunted; they produce small spikes and
shrivelled grains or no grains at all.
Pathogen:
Black stem rust is heteroecious cycle rust. It requires more than one host species to
complete its life cycle. The uredial and telial stages occur on wheat, barley and some grasses
and the pycnial and aecial stages on the species of Berberis (Barbery) and Mahonia, the
alternate hosts.
Diseases cycle:
 The source of inoculum for black rust comes from south, i.e., Nilgiri and Pulney
hills. The possibilities of the fungus surviving on ratoon tillers or self sown wheat plants,
late and off season wheat crops and certain grasses growing in cool areas particularly in the
foot hills of Himalayas in the North, the Nilgiris and Pulney hills in the South appear to be
great. The grasses, viz., Briza minor, Bromus patula, Brachipodium sylvaticum and Avena
fatua, harbor the fungus in the off-season.

Management:

 Eradication of self sown wheat plants and weed hosts

 Adjust time of sowing.
 Grow resistant varieties like Kalyanasona, Sonalika, Choti Lerma, Lerma Rojo, Safed
lerma, NP 700 & 800.
 Avoid late sowing
 Balanced application of nitrogenous fertilizers
 Seed dressing with [email protected]% followed by two sprays with the same chemical.
 Spray twice or thrice with [email protected]% or [email protected]% or [email protected]% , at
15 days interval.
2. Leaf, brown or orange rust : Puccinia recondita
Symptoms
 The first symptom of the disease is the appearance of minute, round, orange sori,
irregularly distributed on the leaves, rarely on the leaf sheath and stem.
 The sori turn brown with maturity. As the disease advances, the telial stage may be
found in the same pustule.
 The telia are small, oval to linear, black and covered by the epidermis. The telia are
also found on the leaf sheath. Severe rusting of leaves causes reduction in yield.
Disease cycle:
The fungus, Puccinia recondita, is heteroecious. The uredial and telial stages appear on
wheat and some other grasses and aecial and pycnial stages on species of Thalictrum. In
Russia, Isopyrum fumaroides is known to act as a natural alternate host. The uredospores are
brown, spherical and minutely echinulate with 7-10 germ pores. Teleutospores are smooth,
oblong, thick walled and brown with a rounded and a prominent thickened apex.
Management:
 Grow resistant varieties like Sonalika, NP 700 & 800, Lerma Rojo and Safed Lerma.
 RH-124, an Indofil product is very specific to brown rust (or) spray Dithiocarbamates like
[email protected]% or [email protected]%
 Seed dressing with [email protected]% followed by two sprays with the same chemical

3. Yellow or stripe rust: Puccinia striformis

Symptoms:
 The uredosori appear as bright yellow pustules chiefly on the leaves. But in severe
infections they may be seen on leaf sheaths also.
 The sori are elongated and are arranged in linear rows between the veins of the leaf
and hence it is referred as stripe rust.
 The sori are mostly sub-epidermal and are remained covered by the epidermal layer
and break only at the time of crop maturity.
Disease cycle:
 Uredospores are yellow, spherical to oval with a spiny wall. The teleutospores are dark
brown, two celled, thick walled and flattened at the top..
 The fungus overwinters in its uredial stage. It may overwinter on volunteer wheat
plants at an altitude of about 1500 to 1800 meters in the Himalayas.
 The uredospores germinate after a period of dormancy and form a source of inoculum
for early sown wheat crop.
  Some weeds like Agropyron semicostatum, Bromus catharaticus, Bromus japonicus
and Hordeum murinum also serve as primary source of inoculum.
 Secondary infection is by wind borne uredospores.
Management:
 Grow resistant varieties like Lerma Rojo, Safed Lerma, Sonalika and Choti Lerma
 Spray [email protected]%
 Removal and destruction of weed hosts
Difference between Stem rust, Leaf rust and Stripe rust
Characters Stem rust Leaf rust Stripe rust

Synonym Black stem rust Brown rust Yellow rust

Causal organism P. graminis tritici P. recondita P. striformis

Occurrence South and north India All wheat growing North India
regions of India
Infection Stem Leaf, leaf sheath Leaf, leaf sheath
Pustule color Dark brown Orange Bright yellow
Pustule Irregular/scattered Scattered Arranged in stripes
arrangement
Uredospores Pedicillate Non-pedicillate Non-pedicillate
Uredospores Oblong/oval Globose Globose/elliptical
Teliospores Two celled Two celled, Flattened or Two celled, Flattened
Pointed or oval tips round tips or round tips

4. Loose smut :Ustilago nuda tritici

Symptoms:
 The symptoms are evident only at the time of emergence of the panicle from boot
leaf.
 All the spikelets in a panicle transform into a mass of black powdery spores. The
infected panicle emerges two days earlier than healthy and the spores are covered
with the silvery membrane.
 This thin membrane gets ruptured exposing the mass of black spores.
 Telispores are easily blown by wind leaving the bare rachis.
Management:
 Grow resistant varieties kalyanasona, PV 18, WG 307 and HD 450.
 Hot water treatment (Jensen, 1908): Soak the seed in cold water for 4 hours and
thenimmerse the seed in hot water at a temperature of 132 0F or 520C for about 10
minutes and dry the seed in shade before sowing.
 Solar seed treatment (Luthra and Sattar, 1934): Soak the seed in water for 4 hours (8
AM to 12 Noon) and expose the seed to the hot sun for 4 to 5 hours (from 12 Noon to 5
PM) on cement or rocky surface. This can be practiced in the areas where the summer
temperatures are high (42-440C).
 Anaerobic seed treatment (USA): Soak the seeds for 2-4 hours in water between 60-
700F and keep the moist seeds in air tight containers for 65-70 hours and there after dry
the seed.
 Seed treatment with systemic chemicals like [email protected]% or [email protected]%

5. Karnal bunt: Neovossia indica (formerly Tilletia indica)

Symptoms:
 The infection is usually confined to a few grains in the spike with irregular
arrangement.
 In some cases the infection may spread to only a part of the grains. In severe cases,
the grain is reduced to black shiny sac of teliospores. As the grains mature the outer
glumes spread and the inner glumes expand, exposing the bunted grains.
 The bunt balls are first enclosed by the pericarp but when it bursts the masses of bunt
spores are exposed.
 The bunt affected plants emits a foul smell which is mainly due to the presence of
Trimethyl amine.
Diseases cycle:
 The teliospores in soil germinate producing primary sporidia. The sporidia become air
borne and deposit on leaves of host plants.
 The infection mostly starts from the embryonal end and spreads along the grain
suture.
 The disease progresses systemically to other florets within an infected spikelet.
 The pericarp ruptures during threshing and teliospores deposit in soil and adhere to
the surface of the seed.
Favourable conditions

 Moderate temperatures (19-230C), high humidity (>70%) and cloudiness or rainfall

during anthesis favours disease development in susceptible host varieties.
Management:
 Grow tolerant varieties, viz., WL 1562, HD 2281, etc. Use resistant sources like wild
species of Aegilops and Triticum, HD 2329, HD 29 and HD 20 for breeding
programme.
 Follow strict quarantine measures
 Use disease free seed for sowing
 Judicious application of nitrogenous fertilizers
 Adjust date of sowing
 Intercropping with Gram or Lentil
 Seed treatment with Copper carbonate or Thiram@3g/kg seed
 Spray with [email protected]% or [email protected]% or [email protected]% or
Bitertanol

6. Tundu disease or yellow slime disease

Anguina tritici (Nematode) + Corynebacterium tritici
Symptoms:

 Twisting of the stem, distortion of the ear head and rotting of the spikelets with a
profuse oozing of yellow liquid from the affected tissues.
 The ooze contains masses of bacterial cells.
 The nematode alone causes winkling, twisting and various other distortion of the
leaves, stem and produce small round galls on the leaves.
 In the distorted earheads dark galls are found in place of kernels.
 When the bacterium is associated with the nematode, the disease symptoms are
intensified at the flowering stage and yellow ear rot sets in due to combined action of
the nematode and bacterium.
 The earhead becomes chaffy and the kernels are replaced by dark nematode galls
which also contain the bacterium.
 The infected plants produce more tillers than the healthy ones. Another interesting
feature is the early emergence of ears in the nematode infected plants which is about
30 to 40 days earlier than the healthy ones.
Diseases cycle:

 The disease starts from the seeds contaminated with the nematode galls. When such
contaminated seeds are sown in the field, they absorb moisture from the soil and the
larvae (juveniles) escape from the galls and climb upon the young wheat plants.
 At the time of flowering, the nematodes enter the floral parts and form galls in the
ovaries.
 When once the nematode is inside the tissues of the ovary, the bacterium becomes
active and causes rotting.
 The yellow ooze coming out of the rotting earhead provides the inoculum for the
secondary spread of the disease which is favoured by wind and rain.
Management:
 Sow gall free seeds. Separate the galls from the seed by floating in brine at 160 g of
sodium chloride in liter of water.
 Wheat, barley or oat should not be sown in the infested soil.
 Spray the crop with streptocycline, 1g in 10 liters of water.

7. Powdery Mildew: C. A :Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici

Symptoms:

 Powdery mildew produces a white to gray cottony fungal growth on the upper leaf
surface
 This disease may occur on any above ground plant part, but it is usually most
prevalent on the upper surface of the lower leaves.
 The conspicuous white to gray patches of fungus appear early in the growing season.
 When powdery mildew is severe, the entire leaf turns yellow and dies
 Small, black fungal fruiting bodies (Cleistothecia) may be seen immersed in the gray
fungal tissue later in the season
 Powdery mildew can cause severe blighting of the upper leaves and can attack the
head of susceptible varieties.
Favourable conditions:
 The disease is favored by temperatures between 10 0C and 21 0C.
 The disease usually declines after flowering, when temperatures rise above 24 0C.
 Powdery mildew can infect plants in the fall and survive in the invaded tissue during
the winter. Early infection can result in reduced tillering of susceptible varieties.
Thus, spores may come from earlier infections within the field or from fields farther
away.
  Dense stands, high nitrogen fertility, and rapid plant growth increase susceptibility.\
Management:
 Field Monitoring: Check fields periodically and early in the season.
 Genetic Control: Use of resistant varieties is the best way to control wheat losses to
powdery mildew.
 Chemical control is possible with fungicides such as Wettable sulphur
Triadimefon and Propiconazole.
8. Soil-Borne Wheat Mosaic
Symptoms
 The primary host for soil-borne wheat mosaic virus is the wheat plant, Triticum
aestivum, although the virus can also affect rye, barley, and triticale.
 Symptoms include chlorotic leaf mottling or leaf mosaic, rosetting, stunting,
streaking, and blotching of leaves.
 The mosaic and mottling symptoms may range from mild green to yellow, and leaves
may sometimes also have dashes, parallel streaks, reddish streaking, and necrosis at
the tips.
 Diseased fields are often uneven in appearance of symptoms especially in low wet
areas. This is because the drainage pattern of water on the field is used by the virus to
infect plants.
 The Soil-borne Wheat Mosaic Virus uses the fungal-like protist Polymyxa graminis,
an endoparasitic slime mold as a vector.
Management:
 Cultivar resistance to the virus is the most practical strategy to control the disease.
 Examples of resistant wheat cultivars include the Hawk and Newton cultivars.
 Chemical control in soil fumigants provide control against the vector P. graminis, but
these fumigants are not feasible economically in use of small grains.
 The sanitation of machinery is important to avoid the introduction of the virus into
new areas by soil transport, and sanitation is a more economical option for the
management of disease.
 Diseases of Sugarcane and Their Management
Disease Pathogen/causal agent
Red Rot Colletotrichum falcatum
(P.S- Glomerella tucumanensis)
Grassy shoot Phytoplasma
Whip Smut Ustilago scitaminea
Pineapple disease Ceratocystis paradoxa.
Mosaic disease Sugarcane Mosaic Virus
Ratoon stunting Clavibacter xyli pv. xyli

1. Red Rot : Colletotrichum falcatum P.S- Glomerella tucumanensis

Symptoms:
 The spindle leaves (3” & 14”) display drying.
 At a later stage, stalks become discoloured and hollow.
 Acervuli (black fruiting bodies) develop on rind and nodes.
 Splitting open the diseased stalk, a sour smell emanates.
 The internal tissues are reddened with intermingled transverse white spots.
Etiology (refer Mango Anthracnose)
Disease cycle:
 Primary Source: Soil and diseased sets.
 Secondary spread: Air, rain splash .
 In rainy season, the disease spreads so fast that whole crop dries and not a single
milleable cane is obtained
Management:
 Removal and destruction of infected plant debris, stubbles and trash.
 Grow resistant varieties: CO 6907, CO 7219, CO 8013, CO 8021, CO 7706, CO A
7602, CO A 89082, CO A 89085, 87 A 397.
 Deep tillage and crop rotation non – host crops
 Selection of healthy setts, avoid ratooning of the diseased crop.
 Soak the setts in 0.1% Carbendazim solution for 20 minutes before planting.
 Hot water treatment of setts at 520C for 30 min or 500C for 2 hours followed by
Steeping in 0.1% Carbendazim solution.
2. Grassy shoot : Phytoplasma
Symptoms:
 Production of numerous lanky tillers from the base of the shoots.
 Leaves become pale yellow to completely chlorotic, thin and narrow.
  The plants appear bushy and ‘grass like’ due to reduction in the length of
internodes, premature and continuous tillering.
 Clumps are stunted and premature proliferation of auxillary buds.
 Young leaves of diseased plants are white (Albino) and the buds on such canes are
usually white, papery and abnormally elongated.
Disease cycle:
 Primary transmission: Diseased seed material (setts) and perpetuated through
ratooning.
 Transmission:
a) Mechanically by cutting knife
b) Insects (aphids) and c) Dodder (root parasite)
Management:
 Selection of disease free setts.
 Remove and burn the infected clumps periodically.
 Avoid ratooning in problem areas.
 Hot Water Treatment (HWT) of setts at 520C for 30min or Aerated Steam
Therapy (AST) at 500C for 1 hr followed by steeping in fungicidal solution of
 Control vector by spraying Malathion or Dimethoate@2ml/lt

3. Whip Smut : Ustilago scitaminea

Symptoms:
 Production of whip like structure of 25-150 cm, from the growing point of the canes.
 Whip covered by translucent silvery membrane enclosing mass of black powdery
spores.
 Initial thin canes with elongated internodes, later become reduced in length.
 Profuse sprouting of lateral buds with narrow, erect leaves especially in ratoon crop.
Diseases cycle:
 Primary Source: Diseased seed pieces.
 Secondary spread: Windblown spores and spores or sporidia, present in or on the
soil surface, are also carried to different fields through rain or irrigation water.
Management:
 Plant healthy setts taken from disease free area.
 Remove and destroy the smutted clump.
 Grow resistant varieties like CO 6806 and CO 62175
  Follow crop rotation with green manure crops or dry fallowing.
 Grow redgram as a companion crop between 2 rows of sugarcane.
 Treat the setts in hot water at 500C for 2 hours.
 [email protected]% for 15 minutes.
4. Set rot/Pineapple disease : Ceratocystis paradoxa
Symptoms:
 Decaying of buds before germination or young shoots may die back shortly after
emergence.
 The development of the sett rots on infected setts may be sparse.
 The disease results in patchy, uneven appearance.
 When severe, the disease may seriously reduce the germination over large areas.
 Disease occur in stalks of the standing cane if the stalks are mechanically or
physically damaged, such as by boring insects or rats.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source: Microconidia present in the soil,
 Secondary spread: through wind blown or rain splash and damaged tissues due to
mechanical and animal injuries.
Management:
 Use of long setts and good field hygiene.
 Use of resistant varieties.
 Treatment of sets with fungi-toxicants before planting. (0.1% Carbendazim or 0.1%
Bayleton
5. Mosaic disease: Sugarcane Mosaic Virus (SCMV)
Symptoms:
 Young leaves of the crown held against the light source display chlorotic and normal
green area imparting mosaic pattern.
 The chlorotic area may show reddening or necroses.
 Leaf sheath may also display such symptoms.
Diseases cycle:
 The virus is mainly transmitted through infected setts.
 The virus remains viable on several other hosts like Zea mays, Sorghum vulgare,
Pennisetum americanum, which serve as potential sources of virus inoculum.
  The disease mainly spreads through sap and aphids, viz., Rophalosiphum maidis,
Toxoptera gramineum, Melanaphis sacchari
Management:
 Rogue out the diseased clumps periodically.
 Select setts from the healthy fields as the virus is sett-borne.
 Treat the setts in hot water as follows: 520C for 20 minutes on the first day, 570C
for 20 minutes on the second day and 570C for 20 minutes on the third day.
 Vector control with malathion or dimethoate@2 ml/lt
 Use Saccharum spontaneum and S. berberi for breeding programme.
6. Ratoon stunting: Clavibacter xyli pv. xyli (Xylem limited fastidious bacteria)
Symptoms:
 Diseased clumps usually display stunted growth, reduced tillering, thin stalks with
shortened internodes and yellowish foliage (mild chlorosis).
 When mature canes are split open, vascular bundles appear discoloured.
 In young canes, pink colour is seen in the form of minute pin head like areas near the
nodes.
 The disease reduces the length, girth and the number of canes per clump.
Disease cycle:
 Sorghum, Sudan grass and Cynodon are some of the collateral hosts of the
pathogen.
 The disease spreads through use of diseased setts, through cane harvesting
implements contaminated with the juice of the diseased canes.
Management:
 Select the setts from disease free field.
 Remove and burn the clumps showing the disease.
 Sterilization of cutting knives with lysol or any other antiseptic solution.
 Hot air treatment of setts at 540C for 8 hours or hot water treatment at 500C for 2
hours or aerated steam treatment at 500C for 1 hour.
 Diseases of Potato and their Management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Late Blight Phytophthora infestans

Early Blight Alternaria solani

Common Scab Streptomyces scabies

Collar rot Sclerotium rolfsii

Black scurf / Stem canker Rhizactonia solani

Potato wart Synchytrium endobioticum

Bacterial Black Leg and Soft Rot Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora

Severe mosaic/ Rugose mosaic PVY Potato virus y

Mild/latent mosaic virus PVX Potato virus X

Powdery scab Spongospora subterranea

Brown rot/ Ring rot Ralstonia solanacearum

Golden cyst nematode Globodera rastochinesis

Potato spindle tuber viroid PSTV

1. Late blight of Potato -Phytophthora infestans

Economic Importance:
 Outbreak of Phytophthora infestans swept across Europe in 1845.
 Destroyed potato crop after the establishment of itself as primary strain.
 It mostly devasted in Irish. So it is also known as “Great Irish famine”
 It said to be “trying real hard to be a fungus”.
 Usually infection starts in 6 weeks old plants
 First reported from Andes mountains of South America
 In India, the disease was first reported in Darjeeling district in India (1880)
Symptoms:
 Initially small, water-soaked lesions develops on the leaves.
 Expand rapidly to large brown to purplish-black lesions killing entire leaflets.
  Infection spreads to petiole to stem, eventually killing entire plant
 Under moist conditions white velvety area of sporangia and sporangiophores visible
around edge of lesions.
 The affected tuber show rusty brown necrosis spreading from surface to the centre.
 Tubers rot in soil before harvest or during storage.
Etiology: Phytophthora infestans
Mycelium is hyaline, ceonoeytic, branched; Sporangiophores slender, hyaline,
symphodially branched, indeterminate, septate, sporangia hyaline, thin walled, lemon
shaped papillate. Oospores are circular. 24-46 µm in diameter, thick walled.
Disease cycle: Fungus over winters as dormant mycelium in the infected tubers in the cold
storage or on the left over tubers in field serves as primary source of inoculum. Secondary
spread is through wind born sporangia.
Favourable conditions:
 Relative humidity < 90 per cent
 Temperature between 10 to 25°C
 The disease generally coincides with the onset of monsoon rains.
 Continuous rain or light drizzle for 2-3 days followed by low temperature is
suitable for disease development.
 Kufri Chandramukhi highly susceptible.
Management:
 Avoid infected seed tubers, eliminate self sown plants.
 Infected plant parts are to be removed and destroyed
 Select healthy, disease free seed tubers
 Harvest the fully matured tubers in dry weather
 Wider row spacing
 Apply protective spray with Mancozeb @0.2% alternating with Metalaxyl @0.2%
at 8-10 days interval. In rainy days sticker like Triton AE (0.02%) should be mixed
with the spray solution.
 Tuber treatment with metalaxyl@ 0.2 % for about 20-30 min.
 Resistant varieties: Kufri jyothi, Kufri jeevan Kufri badshah Kufri khasigaro,
Kufri megha, Kufri Pukhraj
 Resistant sources: Solanum demissum and S. phureja
2. Early Blight: Alternaria solani
Symptoms:
 Older leaves show brown angular necrotic spots marked by concentric rings.
 The spots enlarge and coalesce to form large necrotic areas and the whole leaf dries
up and hangs along the stem.
 In tubers, lesions are dark brown, sunken and surrounded by a raised margin
 The internal tissues of the tuber become reddish brown and leathery to corky in
texture.
Etiology: Alternaria solani
Mycelium pale to olivaceous brown, septate, conidiophores septate, arise singly or
in fascicles, conidia oblong to ellipsoid tapering to a beak, pale brown. 9-11 transverse and 0
to few longitudinal septa.
Disease cycle:
 Pathogen over winters as dormant mycelium in the infected plant debries serves as
primary source of inoculum.
 Secondary spread is through wind borne conidia.
Favourable conditions:
 Occasional drizzling rain fall
 High temperature: 28oC
 RH: >85 %
Management:
 Crop debris should be destroyed after harvest.
 Deep summer ploughing
 Crop rotation with cereals
 Spray the crop with Hexaconazole @ 0.1 % or Mancozeb @0.2% at 7-10 days
interval.

3. Common Scab: Streptomyces scabies

Symptoms:
 Small brownish slightly raised spots appear on tubers which later enlarge and merge
and gives corky appearance.
 Spots on tubers are sometime superficial (shallow scab) or deep pitted. Shallow scab
affected tubers show superficial roughened areas with corky tissue.
 In deep pitted scab, lesions are dark brown or almost black and 3 to 4 mm in depth.
 These are also corky and cover the entire surface of the tuber.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source of inoculum: Soil and infected tubers
 Secondary spread: water, windblown, soil and infected tubers
 Pathogen enters through lenticels or wounds.
Epidemiology:
 Lower soil moisture
 Higher temperature
 RH: .85 %
Management:
 Deep summer ploughing
 Use of disease free tubers
 Crop rotation with wheat-oat or potato-onion-maize (4yrs)
 Hold the soil pH at about 5.3 by addition of sulphur / Gypsum
 Green manuring before planting potato
 Dipping of infected tubers in 3% boric acid for 30 min.
 Soil application of PCNB
 Resistant variety: Kufri sinduri

4. BLACK SCURF (STEM CANKER):

Symptoms:
 Pre emergence death of the plants or delayed germination when growing tips of the
sprouts are infected.
 Sunken, circular or elongated brown necrotic spots on the mature sprouts and sprouts
get killed.
 Lesions on stem are dark brown, elongated, necrotic and leads to girdling.
 Severe cankerous lesions on stem leads to stunting, resetting and purpling of leaves.
 Presence of black crust on tubers due to the formation sclerotia of the fungus.
Etiology: Rhizoctonia solani
Teleomorph: Thanatephorus cucumeris
Mycelium septate, brownish, constricted at branching point. Sclerotia are brown to
black. Basidia are clavate to barrel shaped, four in number. Basidiospores appear on
sterigmata, ellipsoid to oblong.
Disease cycle: Pathogen persists and perpetuates in the form of sclerotia on the seed tubers
or in the soil.
Favourable conditions:
 Higher soil moisture
 Lower soil temperature
Management:
 Deep summer ploughing
 Crop rotation with maize, bajra, or wheat
 Tubers are treated with Trichoderma @ 10g/ lit. or Carbendazim @ 0.2%
 Application of FYM based Trichoderma to the soil.

5. Potato wart: Synchytrium endobioticum

 In India, the disease is restricted to Darjeeling
Symptoms:
 Host cells at the point of infection are hypertrophied.
 White granular swellings form on the eyes of tubers
 White tumour like outgrowths, called as warts, develops on stems and tubers
 As the crop matures, warts become black and rot
 Infected auxillary bud or the leaf is transformed into cock’s comb like greenish
yellow outgrowth.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source of inoculum: Resting sporangia in the soil
 Secondary spread: Zoospores dispersed by water
Favourable conditions:
 High soil moisture
 Optimum temperature of 12 to 28°C
 Slightly acidic to neutral pH
Management:
 Strict quarantine measures
 Grow resistant varieties such as kufri Jyoti, kufri Jeevan and kufri Muthu

6. Viral diseases:
a) Severe mosaic/Rugose mosaic – Potato virus Y (PVY)
 Also called potato leaf drop streak
Symptoms:
 Chlorotic streaks on leaves which become necrotic
 Necrosis of leaf veins and leaf drop streak
 Interveinal necrosis and stem/petiole necrosis
 Plant remain stunted in growth
 Rugosity and twisting of the leaves occurs in combination with PVX and PVY
Survival and spread:
 Infected plants and tubers
 Spread by aphids, Myzus persicae in a non persistant manner.
 Virus belongs to potyvirus group.
Management:
 Disease free seed tubers for planting
 Rouging of diseased plants
 Aphid control

b) Mild mosaic/Interveinal mosaic – (Potato virus X) PVX

Symptoms:
 Often referred as latent potato mosaic
 Light yellow mottling with slight crinkling on potato plants
 Interveinal necrosis of top foliage
 Stunting of diseases plants
 Leaves may appear slightly rugose where strains of PVY combines
Spread:
 Spreads mechanically through rubbing of leaves, contact of infected plants, seed
cutting knives.
 Root clubbing of healthy and diseased plants in field
 It is belongs to potex virus group
Management:
 Disease free seed tubers for planting
 Rouging of diseased plants

c). Potato leaf roll virus (PLRV)

 Rolling of lower leaves in primary infections and of the upper leaves in the secondary
infections with the leaves turning leathery, brittle, pink or brown discolouration.
Infected plants remain stunted, chlorotic and make rattling noise when shaken. ,
  Virus belongs to luteovirus group and transmitted by aphids, (Myzus persicae) in a
persistant manner.

7. Potato spindle tuber – Viroid

Symptoms:
 Plants appear erect, spindly and dwarfed
 Leaves small, erect and leaflets dark green
 Tubers elongated with tapering ends
 Tuber eyes are numerous and more conspicuous
Spread:
 Infected seed tubers, mechanically spread by knives used to cut seed tubers
 Also transmitted by pollen and seed and contaminated mouth parts of
grasshoppers, flea beetles and bugs
Management:
 Use of PSTVd free potato seed tubers
 Disinfestation of cutting knives.
 Diseases of Onion and Garlic Diseases and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Damping off Pythium aphanidermatum
Purple blotch Alternaria porri
Smudge Colletotrichum circinans
Downy mildew Pernospora destructor
Twisting Colletotrichum gloeosprides
and Boran deficiency
Stemphillium blight Stemphylium vesicarium
Smut Urocystis cepulae

1) Purple blotch
Symptoms:
 Minute whitish dots on the leaves with irregular chlorotic areas on tip portions
 Circular to oblong, concentric velvety rings appear in the chlorotic area
 Sometimes yellow halo is seen around lesions
 Spots coalesce and leaves die from tip backwards
 Diseased leaves break at point of infection & hang down
 Infection also seen on outer scales of bulb, seed stalk and neck
 Severely infected crop dries up and bulbs become dry and papery
Etiology: Alternaria porri
Mycelium is septate, light brown to dark brown colour, Conidiophores are straight or
flexuous, septate, brown coloured; Conidia are muriform, straight or curved obclavate and
golden brown.
Survival and spread:
 Primary Source: Plant debris and seed bulb
 Secondary spread: Air-borne conidia
Favourable conditions:
 Occasional drizzling rains
 Temperature: 25-27oc
 RH: > 90%
 High dose of Nitrogen (N) application
 Association of thrips population
Management:
 Deep summer ploughing
 Crop rotation
 Use optimum seed rate
 Use recommended dose of N
 Select disease free bulbs for planting
 Seed treatment with Thiram @3g/kg seed
 Spraying with fungicides + Insecticides + Micronutrients
Hexaconazole (0.1%) + Dimethioate (1.5 ml) + Boran (1st spray has to be given one
month old crop and further spray given at 15-20days interval of 1st spray).

2) Smudge – Colletotrichum circinans

Symptoms:
 Chiefly a disease of scales of bulb. Red scaled onions are usually resistant to the
smudge due to the presence of protocatacheuic acid and catechol
 Damping off in seed bed under wet and warm conditions
 Disease appears at all stages and also during storage and transportation
 Sub-cuticular, dark green to almost black smudge appear on the bulb, neck or
green leaves that are clinging to bulb after digging
 Circular lesions with concentric rings of dark stromata and mycelium appear on
leaves
 Small, sunken and yellow lesions on inner scales
 Pinkish mass of fungal growth on lesions under humid conditions
Survival and spread:
Disease cycle:
 Fungus over winters on the onion bulbs, sets and in the soil
 It is disseminated by wind, splashing water, through tools and clothing.
 Pathogen transported long distance on the on the onion bulbs and sets.
Favourable conditions:
 Wet soils with a temperature of 260 C
Management:

 Right time of harvesting

 Resistant varieties: Nasik red, Pusa Ratna, Pusa Red
 Protection of bulbs from rains after harvest
 Dry bulbs properly before storage by hot air at 37 – 480C
 Spray zineb or Captan @0.2% before harvest of crop

3) Downy mildew: Peronospora destructor

Symptoms:
 White downy growth appears on the surface of the leaves.
 Finally the infected leaves are dried up.
Etiology
 The mycelium of the fungus is non-septate, intercellular with filamentous haustoria.
 The sporangiophores are aseptate, hyaline swollen at the base and 3 to 4 times
dichotomously branched.
 Oospores develop late in the season and germinate by germ tube.
Disease Cycle:
 The fungus attacks the seed stalks in a seed crop and has been found on and in the
seed as mycelium but true seeds do not help in carryover of the fungus from one
season to the next.
 The main sources - diseased bulbs used for propagating the crop in many areas and
oospores present in diseased crop residues.
 If infected bulbs are planted, the fungus grows up with the foliage produces sporangia
and these spread the disease to other plants.
Favourable conditions:
 Cloudy days
 Dew on leaf surface
 Temperature: <220C
 RH: > 95%
Management:
 Select healthy bulbs for seed production.
 Follow crop rotation for 3-4 years with non-host crop.
 Crop sanitation: Dispose properly the infected crop debris and refuse heaps of onion
culled from storage.
  Avoid late planting, poor drainage, higher doses of fertilizers and frequent irrigation.
 Use resistant varieties.
 Onion bulbs meant for seed crop should be exposed to sun for 12 days to destroy the
fungus.
 Three spraying with Mancozeb 0.2 % or Metalaxyl @ 0.1% is effective.
 Spraying should be started 20 days after transplanting and repeated at 10-12 days
interval.
4) STEMPHYLIUM LEAF BLIGHT DISEASES
Causal organism: Stemphylium vesicarium
Symptoms:
 Infection occurs on radial leaves of transplanted seedlings at 3- 4 leaf stage during late
March and early April.
 The symptoms appear as small yellowish to orange flecks or streaks in the middle of
the leaves, which soon develop into elongated spindle shaped spots surrounded by
pinkish margin.
 The disease on the inflorescence stalk causes severe damage to the seed crop.
Survival and spread: The fungus survives in plant debris or soil.
Favourable conditions:
Warm (18-25 °C) humid conditions and long periods of leaf wetness (16 hours or more)
favour disease development.
Management:
 Field sanitation: Collect and burn crop residues
 Crop rotation with non-host crops.
 Follow proper field drainage and reduce plant density.
 Hot water soaking of onion seed (50 °C for 20 minutes).
 Use resistant varieties like: Bhima Shweta. Arka Niketan and Bhima Shakti tolerant to
stemphylium leaf blight.
Chemical control:
 Spray mancozeb 75% WP @2.5g/l of water or zineb 75% WP @ @2.5g/l of water.
 Azoxystrobin 25% + Flutriafol 25% SC 1 ml/l of water
 Fluopyram 20% + Tebuconazole 20% SC 1 ml/l of water is recommended
5) Colletotrichum blight/anthracnose/twister disease
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Glomerella cingulata)
Symptoms
 The symptoms appear initially on the leaves as water soaked pale yellow spots, which
spread lengthwise covering entire leaf blade.
 The affected leaves shrivel and droop down.
Survival and spread
 The fungus can survive for many years as sclerotia in the soil or for shorter periods in
infected plant debris.
Favourable conditions
 Disease is most severe in warm [25-30° C], moist soils that are high in organic matter.
 Fungal growth rapidly decreases below 15° C, resulting in little disease development.
Management:
• Field sanitation: Destruction of infected plant debris.
• Use of resistant varieties
• Chemical spray of Mancozeb or Chlorothalonil @ 0.2%
 Diseases of Capsicum (Chilli) and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Damping-off Pythium aphanidermatum

Anthracnose and fruit rot Colletotrichum capsici

Powdery mildew Leveillula taurica

Cercospora leaf spot Cercospora capsici

Wilt complex Rhizactonia solani & Fusarium solani

Murda complex Complex Diseases

Leaf curl virus Chilli leaf curl virus

1. Damping-off: Pythium aphanidermatum

Symptoms:
There are two types:
1. Pre-emergence damping off
2. Post-emergence damping off
 Sprouting seedlings are infected and wither before emergence from the soil (Pre-
emergence damping off) results fail in germination.
 Minute water soaked lesions appear on the stems near the soil surface, soon
girdling the stem leading to toppling over of the seedlings
(Post-emergence damping off).
Etiology: Pythium aphanidermatum
Coenocytic (aseptate) mycelia, inter & intracellular haustoria, asexual spores are zoospores,
sexual spores are oospores.
Disease cycle:
 Soil Inhabiting fungi which cause Damping off, root rot, wilt etc
 Primary source - soil borne oospores
 Secondary spread- Irrigation water
Favourable conditions:
 Excessive soil moisture
 High humidity and Overcrowding of seedling
Management:
 Deep summer ploughing
 Seed bed area have to be changed every year
 Optimum seeds are used
 Seed treatment with Apron 5g/kg of seeds, or Trichoderma 10g/ kg
 Top soil of the seed bed mixed with the with FYM based Trichoderma
 Use of light soil for nursery, raised seed bed.
 Soil Solarisation immediately after bed preparation.
 Provide frequent irrigation and better drainage,
 Drenching with Copper Oxychloride @ 0.2 % or
 Metalaxyl @ 0.2% fungicides at 8-10 days interval

2. Powdery mildew:
Symptoms:
 White powdery growth on the lower surface, sometimes the powdery coating can
also be seen on the upper surface.
 Correspondingly on the upper surface yellow patches are seen.
 Severe infection results in the drying and shedding of affected leaves.
Etiology: Anamorph: Oidiopsis taurica
Teleomorph: Leveillula taurica
Mycelium is hyaline and endophytic, Conidiophores are long and branched. Conidia
are cylindrical or pyriform (flame shaped) hyaline, borne singly or in short chains.
Mode of spread and Survival:
 Spread: Through air-borne conidia
 Survival: As dormant mycelium in the infected crop debris.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source: cleistothecia in the infected plant debris.
 Secondary Spread: Air-borne conidia.
Management:
 Remove the infected plant debris and destroy.
 Spray Wettable [email protected]% or Dust Sulphur at 25 kg/ha and repeat after 15
days.
3. Fruit rot and Die-back:
Symptoms:
 Shedding of flowers due to the infection at pedicel and tips of branches.
 Under favourable conditions this infection spreads to stem through the flower stalk
and causes die-back of branches.
Fruit infection:
 Ripe fruits are more liable for attack than the green ones.
 Brown water soaked patch appears on the skin of the fruit.
 Severe infection result in the shriveling and drying of fruits.
 Such fruits become white in colour and lose their pungency.
 On the surface of the lesions minute black dot like fruiting bodies called ‘acervulli’
occur. The affected fruits may fall off subsequently

Etiology: Colletotrichum capsici

Mycelium is septate, light to dark grey in colour. Acervuli are round and elongated,
setae are brown, 2-5 septate and scattered. Conidiophores short, hyaline, cylindrical, conidia
falcate, fusiform with acute apices, single celled and hyaline.
Mode of spread and survival:
 Survival: On the infected fruits.
 Spread: Through infected seeds (Externally seed-borne) and air-borne conidia.
 Optimum temp. 22-25°c humid weather with rainfall at frequent intervals.
Management:
 Deep summer ploughing
 Collect seeds only form fruits without infection.
 Crop debris should be collected and destroyed.
 Seed treatment with Captan or Thiran 4g/kg or Carbendazim @ 0.2 %
 Spraying Carbendazim or Hexcaconazole @ 0.1%
 Resistant Varieties: Byadagi Kaddi

4. Murda complex:
 Thrips - upward curling
 Mites – downward curling with elongation of petioles, copper like metallic shining
on lower surface of leaves
 Viruses – curling, filiform of leaves, rat tail symptoms
Management:
 Nursery beds should be covered with nylon or straw to protect the seedlings from
viral infection.
 Use of barrier crops: chilli crops bordered with sorghum or maize against aphids,
thrips, and mites control
 Use of inter crops: chilli + Onion, chilli + Garlic and Chilli + Coriander (1:2 ratio)
 Mulching: Alluminium foil mulching / paddy straw, polythene sheet and Glyricidia
 Nutrient management: Application of K2O @ 105 kg / ha and manganese
supplementation through foliar spray or soil drenching.
 Neem cake 500 kg / ha with 50 % RDF
 Release of Amblyseives sp (Predatory mite) 15-20 mites/plant against thrips and mites
 Lecanicillium lecani or Beauveria bassiana 2g / l against insects.
 Use resistant hybrid: Arka suphal, Arka abhir, Arka harita, Arka meghana, Arka
khyati and Arka sweta
 Chemical: Seed treatment : Imidacloprid (3ml/kg)
 Before sowing Carbofuran3G 25g/bed
 Insecticide spray Imidacloprid 17.8SL (0.3ml/l) or Thiomethoxam25WG (0.3g/l)
or Acephate 75SC (1g/l) or Spinosad 45 SC @ 0.25 ml/l
 White fly : Triazophos 1.5ml/l
 Mites : Dicofol @ 0.1 % or Diafenthiuron 50 SP @ 1g/l or Spiromesifin 30SC @
2ml/l
 Diseases of Rose and their management

Diseases Pathogen
Powdery Sphaerotheca pannosa var. roseae
Mildew
Black Spot Diplocarpon rosae
Die-Back Diplodia rosarum, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum
gloesporiodes
Rust Phragmedium mucronatum

1. POWDERY MILDEW:
This is a very serious disease of this crop both in open and protected structures
and affects both quality and quantity of cut flowers. Severe mildew growth reduces
leaf growth, the aesthetic value of plants, photosynthetic efficiency and there by
plants growth and stability of cut flowers.
Symptoms:
 Small, discrete lesions appear on the stems, leaves or sometimes on the flowers
 Production of numerous conidia gives the affected plants a white powdery
appearance.
 Newly unfolded leaves are most susceptible, becoming increasingly resistant with
age.
 The young growing tips are completely covered by the mildew.
 As the cells are killed, dark spots may be noticed on the infected leaves.
 Infected flower buds do not open.
 The petals may become discoloured, dwarfed and finally die
Etiology
 The disease is caused by Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr. Ex Fr.) var. roseae Wor.
 The appendages on cleistothecia of S. pannosa are vestigial or lacking and its
ascocarps are usually embedded in felt like mycelium.
 Each cleistothecium contain single ascus which bear usually 8 hyaline and elliptical
ascospores
Disease cycle:
Primary source of inoculum:
Infection of dormant buds is the primary mode of perennation
Secondary spread:
Air borne conidia
Epidemiology:
Warm and humid weather with cool nights favours the development of the disease.
A temperature of 210C and relative humidity ranging between 97-99% is quite
effective for the spread of the pathogen.
Management:
 Pruning of infected shoots at the end of the season and burning of these shoots will
help to prevent overwintering of the fungus.
 Lowering of the night humidity by fans and /or venting or heating is recommended for
greenhouse roses.
 Spraying the crop with fungicides like hexaconazole (0.05%), difenoconazole
(0.03%), triadimefon (0.075%), fenarimol (0.04%) or carbendazim (0.1%) effectively
check this disease.
 Biological control of pathogenic fungus can be obtained by applying hyper parasites
like Sporothrix floculosa, Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Cephalosporium sp. and
Tilletiopsis pallescens.
2. BLACK SPOT
It has also been called as leaf blotch, leaf spot, blotch, rose actinonema and rose leaf
asteroma and star sooty mould. This disease is considered as most troublesome disease of
garden roses worldwide including India.
Symptoms:
 Brown to black, nearly circular spots (2-12 mm in dia.) often has fringed margins with
a feathery hyphal growth which appear on both sides of leaves.
 The affected leaves turn yellow and drop prematurely due to the formation of ethylene
which is more in green leaves infected with this disease.
 Other above ground parts like fruits, sepals, stipules, petioles and peduncles may also
develop similar spots.
 Infections on petioles and stipules are usually small and inconspicuous while petal
infection usually causes formation of small, reddish spots accompanied by distortion
of the surrounding tissues.
 Close examination of the lesion reveal the presence of small black acervuli which
may be distributed over lesion surface or found in concentric circles.
Etiology: Diplocarpon rosae (Ana: Marssonina rosae)
 The apothecia are globose to disc shaped, subcuticular, radiate and are 100-300 µm in
dia.
 Asci are inoperculate, oblong and cylindrical, short stalked, 70-80 x 12-18 µm and
contain a pore.
 Each ascus contains 8 ascospores which are oblong, elliptical, hyaline, and unequally
two-celled, constricted at the septum and are 20-25 x 5-6 µm in size.
 The paraphyses are numerous, filiform, septate and enlarged at the tips.
 Conidia are 18-25 x 5-6 µm in size, hyaline, oval to elliptical with single septation
and are formed in an acervulus.
 Acervuli are formed on leaves and young shoots during the summer, while apothecia
and spermogonia are borne on decaying overwintering leaves.
Disease cycle:
Primary source of infection:
 The fungus perennates on overwintering rose leaves and infected stem tissue.
 Although the perfect stage has been recorded in certain geographic areas, but their
role is not understood in the pathogen life cycle.
Secondary spread:
Air borne conidia
Management:
 Removal of overwintering inoculum by eliminating infected leaves is helpful in
limiting the inoculum spread.
 Avoid overhead irrigation and dense planting to allow good air circulation through
leaf canopy and do not allow leaves to remain wet or high humidity for more than
7-12 hours.
 Sprays of Bordeaux mixture (1%), carbamates, ergosterol-inhibiting fungicides like
triforine, benomyl-zinc, chlorothalonil (0.2%), mancozeb(0.2%) provide effective
control of this disease.
 Jawahar and Pusa Sonia varieties of rose are resistant to black spot disease
3. DIE-BACK
Symptoms:
 Drying of twigs from tip down wards.
 Blackening of the twigs.
 The disease spreads to root and causes complete killing of the plants
Pathogen: Diplodia rosarum, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum gloesporiodes
Management:
 Pruning should be done so that lesions on the young shoots will be eliminated.
 Apply chaubatia paste in the pruned area.
Minor diseases:
a) Stem and Graft canker: Coniothyrium fuckelii (Perfect stage- Leptosphaeria
coniothyrium)
b) Alternaria Leaf Spot: Alternaria alternate & Alternaria tenuis var. rosicola
c) Grey Mould: Botrytis cinerea
 Prepared by Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Cucurbits

Cucumber
Summer squash
Winter squash (Pumpkin)
Muskmelon and cantaloupe
Watermelon
Gourds
These are the members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae and are referred to as “cucurbits.”

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

FUNGAL DISEASES
Downy mildew Pseudoperonospora cubensis

Powdery mildew Podosphaera xanthii

Erysiphe cichoracearum

Anthracnose Colletotrichum lagenarium

(Watermelon), C. orbiculare
(cucumber, melons)

Fusarium wilt Fusarium oxysporum

Bacterial wilt Erwinia tracheiphila

Cucumber mosaic cucumber mosaic virus

1. Downy mildew: Pseudoperonospora cubensis

Symptoms:
 Appearance of pale green (yellowish) areas separated by islands of dark green colour
on the upper surface of leaves.
 Corresponding lower surface is covered with a purplish grayish black mycelial
growth of the fungus containing sporangiophores and sporangia.
 Lesions on upper surface later turn necrotic brown, finally such leaves gets dried.
 Fruits rarely affected, but prevents maturation and reduces flavour and quality.
 Prepared by Dr. Nagaraja, H

Etiology:
Mycelium: coenocyte, hyaline, intercellular.
Sporangiophores: bulbous at the base and dichotomously branched in the upper third
of their growth.
Sporangia: pale grey to purple, ovoid to elliptical with apical papilla.
Oospores: spherical, light yellow to pale yellowish with smooth wall.
Disease Cycle:
• Pathogen survives as mycelium and sporangiophores either on cultivated or wild
cucurbits throughout the year
Epidemiology:
• Optimal temperature for sporulation is 15˚C with 6 to 12 hours of available
moisture.
Management:
 Grow the crop at wider spacing on well-drained soil.
 Collect the seeds from disease free healthy fruits to avoid further infection.
 Spray mancozeb at 0.25% at 7 days interval.
 In severe conditions, follow one spray of metalaxyl + mancozeb 0.2%.
 Spray COC 0.2% at 10 days interval.
 Field sanitation by burning crop debris to reduce the inoculums

2. Powdery Mildew: Podosphaera xanthii and Erysiphe cichoracearum

Powdery mildew is a common disease of cucurbits under field and greenhouse
conditions in most areas of the world.
Symptoms:
 Patches of whitish mycelium (resembling talc) on upper and lower leaf surfaces,
petioles, and stems.
 First noted on the older leaves, powdery mildew appears as pale yellow spots on
stems, petioles, and leaves.
 These spots enlarge as the white, fluffy mycelium grows over plant surfaces and
produces spores, which give the lesions a powdery appearance.
 Affected leaves become dull, chlorotic, and may show some degree of wilting and
eventually they become brown and papery.
 Yellow spots may form on upper leaf surfaces opposite powdery mildew colonies.
 Prepared by Dr. Nagaraja, H

Etiology:
Podosphaera xanthii and Erysiphe cichoracearum
Mycelium ectophytic, Conidiophores septate, Conidia is hyaline, single celled, barrel
shaped, in long chains.
Cleistothecia globose dark, with hyaline to dark brown myceliod appendages with Many
acsi in cleistothecia (Erysiphe) and dichotomous appendages with single ascus
(Podosphaera) , which are ovate or ellepsoid. Ascospores are single celled, hyaline and oval
in shape.
Disease Cycle:
• PSI: Infected plant debris
• SSI: Air borne conidia
Epidemiology:
 Dense plant canopy,
 low intensity light, high nitrogen fertilization and
 High relative humidity (although infection can occur at relative humidity of less than
50%).
 Optimum temperatures 68-80° F and temperatures of 100° F or above stop Powdery
mildew development.
Management:
 Healthy and vigorous plants grown under a good nutritional program and suitable
sanitary conditions are less susceptible to powdery mildew infection than plants under
nutritional stress.
 Proper crop spacing to ensure free air circulation
 Use resistant varieties
 Avoid overhead irrigation to keep foliage dry
 Strobilurins: azoxystrobin trifloxystrobin (Quadris, Flint) Alternate with other
chemicals. 5-7 day schedule or,
 Chlorothalonil: or,
 Karathane @ 0.2%
Note:
a) Several cucurbit species, mostly muskmelons and cucumbers etc., are very sensitive
to sulfur and phytotoxicity as scorch occurs when sulfur is applied to the leaves.
b) The fungicides especially wettable sulphur used for powdery mildew control should
not be applied on hot days, when shade temperature exceeds 900 F. This precaution
 Prepared by Dr. Nagaraja, H

should be observed to prevent scorching of the foliage.

3. Anthracnose: Colletotrichum lagenarium
Symptoms: Colletotrichum lagenarium
 Older leaves show small, water-soaked or yellowish areas that enlarge rapidly and
turn tan to reddish brown
 Spots - often circular to angular
 Later, spots may merge, blighting large sections of the leaf
 Petioles and stems - Tan to black, elongated and form slightly sunken streaks called
cankers
 Attacks Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Cucumber
 Squash and pumpkin are almost immune
 Immature fruit - turn black, shrivel, and die
 Round, water-soaked spots develop on the older fruit
 Spots turn dark green to brown with age and may become sunken.
Etiology:
Mycelium is branched, septate, initially hyaline and become dark with age.
Acervuli develop on stromata,
Conodiophores hyaline, short, simple, erect.
Conidida hyaline, single celled, ablong or cylindrical with rounded ends or somewhat
pointed at end. Setae are few and dark brown.
Disease cycle:
PSI: seed borne, dormant mycelium
SSI: Air borne conidia
Epidemiology
• Warm, wet conditions - favour rapid development and spread of the disease
• Temp - 25oC with 100% RH
Management:
 Field sanitation - destroy the plant debris
 Hot water treatment of seeds @ 57.2oc for 20 min
 Seed treatment - thiram or carbendazim or mancozeb @ 2g/kg
 Spraying at weekly intervals of
– Carbendazim 0.1 % or
– Mancozeb 0.2% or
– Difolaton 0.2%
 Prepared by Dr. Nagaraja, H

 Fruit dip - 5 min in wash water containing 120 ppm of chlorine helps to prevent
infection of healthy fruits
 Resistant varieties in watermelon - Black Stone, Congo, Diamond, Charleston
4. Fusarium Wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp cucumeriana (Cucumber)
Fusarium oxysporum f.sp melonis (contaloupe)
F.o. f.sp hiveum (water melon)
Symptoms:
 Early season Fusarium wilt infections result in the dampng-off of seedlings and
transplants
 Later infections cause the foliage to turn a dull grey-green and wilt, followed by a
general yellowing and defoliation
 Fusarium infection causes the vascular tissue to turn reddish brown
 A gummy exudate may form on the underside of infected vines
 Muskmelons from infected fields may develop raspberry-pink fungal growths on the
underside of the fruit
Etiology:
Sickle shaped conidia is 3 celled. It produces Micro-conidia and macro-conidia is important
for causing disease. Macro-conidia is septate, hyaline in color. This fungus produces
chlamidospores are very important for occurrence of disease.
Epidemiology

• Soil temperatures of 18- 25°C (64- 77°F) support rapid disease progression.

Disease Cycle
PSI: Chlamidospores in the soil SSI: Through irrigation water and rain water

Management:
 Deep summer ploughing

 Removal and destruction of infected plant debris

 Crop rotation with non-host plants

 Seed treatment with carbendizim @ 2g/kg of seeds

 Soil application with carbendizim 0.2%

 Use bio-control agent Trichoderma

 Prepared by Dr. Nagaraja, H

5. Bacterial Wilt: Erwinia tracheiphila

Symptoms:
 The expression of symptoms varies with the different crop species. Cucumber and
melon plants are severely affected; individual runners or whole plants wilt and die
rapidly.
 Often affected plant parts will appear dark green before irreversible wilt. Wilt is most
severe early in the season when the plants are rapidly growing.
 Summer squash and pumpkin may wilt dramatically during the heat of the day and
partially recover by morning. Foliage appears yellow before the entire plant collapses
and dies.
 Young pumpkin plants lose vigor and die within two weeks of initial symptom
expression.
 Weather has little effect on the incidence of wilt, but may influence the rate of
symptom expression.
Disease cycle:
• E. tracheiphila is dispersed within and among fields by the cucumber beetle vector.
The bacterium is transmitted mechanically by contact with contaminated moth parts.
Epidemiology:
• Warm weather, adequate soil moisture, plentiful sunlight, and balanced nutrient
concentrations, also appear to favor the development of the disease.
Management:
• If disease appears in a few plants, rogue and bury these plants to prevent further
spread of the disease.
• Crop rotation with non-host plants
• Soil solarization with a transparent polyethylene sheet for 8-10weeks before planting
• Soil drenching of Streptocycline (0.5 gm) and CoC (2gm)
• Biological control with Pseudomonas flurescens.

6. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)

Symptom

 In CMV infected safflower plants young leaves show irregular yellow or light patches
alternating with normal green areas.
 Leaves may become blistered and distorted and infected plants are stunted.
 Prepared by Dr. Nagaraja, H

 In few plants primary leaves are produced, forming a rosette of leaves exhibiting
mosaic mottling and from the centre of this, the axis bearing secondary leaves is
produced.
Etiology: Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)
It is belongs to Cucumovirus group and contains ssRNA genome
It is transmitted by aphids.
Management
 The disease can be controlled by rouging and destruction of the infected plants.
 Remove and destroy the diseased plants.
 Do not delay irrigation until the crop exhibits moisture stress symptoms.
 Spraying of systemic insecticides, Dimethoate 2ml, for the control of aphid vectors.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Cotton and Their Management

Disease Pathogen/causal agent
Bacterial blight or Angular leaf spot or Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum
Black arm
Fusarium wilt Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum
Verticillium wilt Verticillium dahliae
Grey or Areolate mildew Ramularia areola
Alternaria leaf spot Alternaria macrospora
Rust Puccinia cacabata, Phakopsora gossypii
Cotton leaf curl Cotton leaf curl virus
Cotton necrosis Cotton tobacco streak virus

1. Bacterial blight or Angular leaf spot or Black arm

C.A: Xanthomonas campestris pv. malvacearum
 It is an important disease in Maharashtra, Karnataka, A.P., Tamil Nadu and Madhya
Pradesh.
 The bacterium attacks all stages from seed to harvest. Usually five common phases
of symptoms are noticed.
Symptoms:
1. Seedling blight
2. Angular leaf spot
3. Vein blight or vein necrosis or black vein
4. Black arm
5. Square rot / Boll rot
1. Seedling blight:
 Small, water-soaked, circular or irregular lesions develop on the cotyledons.
 Infection spreads to stem through petiole and cause withering and death of seedlings.
2. Angular leaf spot:

 Small, dark green, water soaked areas develop on lower surface of leaves, enlarge
gradually and become angular.
 These spots restricted by veins and veinlets and spots are visible on both the surface
of leaves.
 As the lesions become older, they turn to reddish brown colour and infection
spreads to veins and veinlets.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

3. Vein blight or vein necrosis or black vein:

 The infection of veins causes blackening of the veins and veinlets, gives a typical
‘blighting’ appearance.
 On the lower surface of the leaf, bacterial oozes are formed as crusts or scales.
 The infection also spreads from veins to petiole and cause blighting leads to
defoliation.
4. Black arm:
 Brown to black lesions are formed on stem and fruiting branches to cause premature
drooping off of the leaves.
 Cracking of stem and gummosis, resulting in breaking of the stem which hang
typically as dry black twig to give a characteristic “black arm” symptom.
5. Square rot / Boll rot:
 On the bolls, water soaked lesions appear and turn into dark black and sunken
irregular spots.
 The infection slowly spreads to entire boll and shedding occurs.
 The infections on mature bolls lead to premature bursting of bolls.
 The pathogen also infects the seed and causes reduction in size and viability of the
seeds.
Disease cycle:
 The bacterium survives on infected plant debris in soil for several years and also
seed borne.
 The bacterium also attacks other hosts like Jatropha and other wild cotton species.
 The primary infection starts mainly from the seed-borne bacterium.
 The secondary spread of the bacteria may be through wind, rain splash, irrigation
water, insects and other implements.
 The bacterium enters through natural openings or insect caused wounds.
Favourable Conditions:
 Optimum soil temperature of 26- 280C,
 High atmospheric temperature of 30-400C,
 Relative humidity of 85%
 Early sowing, delayed thinning, poor tillage, late irrigation and potassium deficiency
in soil.
 Rain followed by bright sunshine during the months of October and November are
highly favourable.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Management:
 Remove and destroy the infected plant debris.
 Rogue out the volunteer cotton plants and weed hosts.
 Follow crop rotation with non-host crops.
 Early thinning, good tillage, early irrigation, early earthing up and addition of potash
to the soil reduces disease incidence.
 Grow resistant varieties like HG-9, BJA 592, G-27, Sujatha, 1412 CRH 71 and
Suvin is tolerant.
 Delint the cotton seeds with concentrated sulphuric acid at 125ml/kg of seed.
 Gossypium herbaceum and G. arboreum are almost immune. G. barbadense, G.
hirsutum, G. herbaceum var typicum and G. herbaceum var acerifolium have
considerable resistance.
 Treat the delinted seeds with Carboxin at 2 g/kg seed or soak the seeds in 1000 ppm
Streptomycin sulphate overnight or treat the seed with hot water at 52-560C for 10-
15 minutes.
 Spray with Streptomycin sulphate (Agrimycin 100), 500 ppm along with Copper
oxychloride at 0.3%.
2. Fusarium wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum
Symptoms:
 The disease affects the crop at all stages.
 The earliest symptoms appear on the seedlings in the cotyledons which turn yellow
and then brown.
 Sometimes partial wilting occurs; where in only one portion of the plant is affected,
the other remaining free.
 Browning or blackening of vascular tissues is the other important symptom.
 The leaves loose their turgidity, gradually turn brown, droop and finally drop off.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus can survive in soil as saprophyte for many years and chlamydospores
act as resting spores.
 The pathogen is both externally and internally seed-borne.
 The primary infection is mainly from dormant hyphae and chlamydospores in the
soil.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 The secondary spread is through conidia and chlamydospores which are

disseminated by irrigation water.
Favourable Conditions:
 Soil temperature of 20-300C,
 Hot and dry periods followed by rains, heavy black soils with an alkaline reaction.
 Increased doses of nitrogen and phosphatic fertilizers.
 wounds caused by nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and grubs of Ashweevil
(Myllocerus pustulatus).
Management:
 Field sanitation and deep summer ploughing.
 Apply increased doses of potash with a balanced dose of nitrogenous and
phosphatic fertilizers.
 Grow disease resistant varieties of G. hirsutum and G. barbadense like Varalakshmi,
Vijaya, Pratap, Jayadhar, Jarila, Jyothi, G 22 and Verum.
 Multiply Trichoderma viride (2kg) in 50 kg of FYM for 15 days and then apply to the
soil.
 Follow mixed cropping with non-host crops
 Treat the acid-delinted seeds with Carboxin or Chlorothalonil at 4 g/kg or
Carbendazim@2g/kg seed
3. Verticillium wilt: Verticillium dahliae
Symptoms:
 The symptoms are seen when the crop is in squares and bolls.
 Plants infected at early stages are severely stunted.
 The first symptoms can be seen as distinct mottling of leaves with pale yellowish
irregular areas at the margins and between the principal veins. (Tiger Stripe
symptoms noticed on leaves)
 The necrosis of the leaves spreads from lower to upper leaves and there is heavy
defoliation.
 Splitting of stem shows pinkish to pinkish brown discolouration of the woody
tissue which may be continuous or interrupted.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus also infects the other hosts like brinjal, chilli, tobacco and bhendi.
 The primary spread is through the microsclerotia or conidia in the soil.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 The secondary spread is through the contact of diseased roots to healthy ones and
through dissemination of infected plant parts through irrigation water and other
implements.
Favourable Conditions:
 Low temperature of 15-200C, low lying and ill-drained soils, heavy soils with
alkaline reaction and heavy doses of nitrogenous fertilizers favours the disease.
Management:
 Remove and destroy the infected plant debris after deep ploughing in summer months.
 Grow disease resistant varieties like Sujatha, Suvin and CBS 156.
 Apply FYM or compost at 10t/ha.
 Follow crop rotation by growing paddy or Lucerne or chrysanthemum for 2-3
years.
 Treat the delinted seeds with Carboxin@4g/kg or Carbendazim at 2 g/kg.
 Spot drench with 0.1 % Benomyl or Carbendazim.

4. Grey or Areolate mildew: Ramularia areola

Symptoms:
 The disease usually appears on the under surface of the lower leaves when the crop is
nearing maturity.
 Irregular to angular pale translucent lesions which measure 3-4 mm develop on
the lower surface, usually bound by veinlets.
 On the upper surface, lesions appear as light green or yellow green specks.
 Whitish grey or frosty powdery growth, consisting of conidiophores of the fungus,
appears on the lower surface.
 When several spots coalesce, the entire leaf surface is covered by white to grey
powdery growth.
 The affected leaves dry up from margin, turn yellowish brown and fall off
prematurely.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus survives in the infected crop residues, perennial cotton plants and self-
sown cotton plants .
 Primary infection : conidia from infected plant debris.
 Secondary spread: wind, rain splash, irrigation water and implements.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Favourable Conditions:
 Wet humid conditions during winter cotton season.
 Intermittent rains during North-East monsoon season.
 Low temperature (20-30 OC ) during October-January.
 Close planting, excessive application of nitrogenous fertilizers.
 Very early sowing or very late sowing of cotton.
Management:
 Remove and burn the infected crop residues.
 Rogue out the self-sown cotton plants during summer months.
 Grow the resistant varieties like Sujatha and Varalakshmi.
 Avoid excessive application of nitrogenous fertilizers/manures.
 Adopt the correct spacing based on soil conditions and varieties.
 Spray the crop with [email protected]% or BM@1% or Wettable sulphur at
1.25-2.0 kg/ha, repeat after 15 days.
5. Alternaria leaf spot : Alternaria macrospora
Symptoms:
 Small, pale to brown, round or irregular spots measuring 0.5 - 3 mm in diameter and
cracked centers appears on the affected leaves of the plant.
 Affected leaves become dry and fall off.
 The disease may cause cankers on the stem.
 The infection spreads to the bolls and finally fall off.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source of inoculum: Crop residues and infected seeds
 Secondary spread : Air borne conidia
Managemant:
 Removal and destruction of crop debris
 Spray : Bacillus subtilis (BSC 5) – 0.04% on 60, 90 and 120 days after sowing.
 Spray any one of the following:
Copper Oxychloride 0.2%
Chlorothalonil 0.2%
Difenaconazole- 0.05% 60, 90 and 120 days after sowing.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

6. Rust; Puccinia cacabata, Phakopsora gossypii

Symptoms:
 Appears as small, yellowish spots or pustules on leaves, bracts, green bolls and stems.
 These enlarge, developing orange to reddish centers.
 Pustules are surrounded by purple borders. Spots become brown with age.
 Severe infections may cause defoliation and reduction in the size of the bolls.
Disease cycle:
 Wild gramma grass, which serves as an alternate host
 The disease spreads mainly through air borne uredospores.
Favourable Conditions:
 High humidity
 Moderate temperatures are conducive for the disease.
Management:
 Remove and destroy the infected gramma grass.
 Spray Plantavax @0.1% or [email protected]% prior to first spore showers from
gramma grass.
7. Cotton Leaf Curl: Cotton leaf curl virus
Symptoms:
 Two types of symptoms are associated with Cotton leaf curl virus- infected cotton.
 A typical, severe upward or downward leaf curl symptom accompanied by foliar
discoloration and mosaic.
 Small vein thickening which is characterized by foliar enations, a slight mosaic and
leaf curling.
Transmission:
 The disease transmitted by white fly - Bemisia tabaci
Management:
 Elimination of weeds near cotton fields in reduce the virus and vector reservoirs.
 Chemical control to reduce whitefly vector population Imidachloprid @ 0.1%
Disease of Medicinal crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Medicinal Crops

Crops Botanical name

Coleus Coleus barbatus (forksholii)
Senna Senna alexandrina

1. Diseases of Coleus and their management

Coleus barbatus root has been traditionally used for medicinal purposes and contains
the active constituent, forskolin. Historically, it has been used to treat hypertension,
congestive heart failure, painful urination, insomnia and convulsions. It is also a drug
used against obesity. The growing demand for forskolin in international trade has made
Indian farmers take up commercial cultivation of medicinal coleus. The crop has now
become an important medicinal cash crop in India, where the root-knot nematode (RKN)
Meloidogyne incognita Chitw is one of the major constraints to the production. Severely
infected plants often fail to produce root tubers and yield loss up to 86 per cent was
recorded. Treatments with chemical nematicides manage RKN to a certain extent, but
their use is strictly limited in the cultivation of medicinal plants in order to maintain their
active principles and medicinal properties. Mealybug is yet another pest infesting coleus
during vegetative stage.
Fungal diseases
1 Root rot - Rhizoctonia bataticola (Macrophomina phaseolina)
The root rot disease caused by Rhizoctonia bataticola is a serious soil-borne disease
affecting Coleus forskohlii. The yield loss ranged up to 30 to 40 per cent due to this disease.
Symptoms
 Yellowing of leaves takes place
 Discoloration of roots, oozing, putrification and decaying of roots (tap and lateral root
system) are the prominent symptoms of root rot disease.
 Sudden and complete wilting of plants appears in patches.
 The infected tubers rot and emit bad odour.
 Stem portion can be easily pulled out leaving rotten roots in the soil.
 Bark of the affected roots shred and large number of dark brown or black sclerotia is
seen on the inner walls of the shredded bark. Such affected plants are finally killed
due to severe root rot.
Disease of Medicinal crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Biology of the causal agent

Macrophomina phaseolina is the causal organism ad has a wide host range and causes
root rot in various crop plants. The mycelium is initially hyaline and later became grey in
colour. It forms conidia inside the flask shaped pycnidium. The affected crops exhibited bark
shredding with black minute sclerotia scattered in the infected portion. The sclerotia are
black, round to oblong or irregular in shape with mycelial appendages. Sclerotia survive in
the soil for several years.
Taxonomic position
Kingdom : Fungi, Phylum : Ascomycota, Class : Dothideomycetes, Subclass : Incertae
sedis, Order : Botryosphaeriales, Family : Botryosphaeriaceae,
Life cycle
The fungus lives saprophytically in the dead tissues and produce greyish white, inter
and intracellular, septate, thick mycelium with right angle branching near the septum. During
asexual reproduction, dark brown, globose pycnidia with an ostiole are produced on the
surface of the stem. Inner wall of the pycnidium is lined with pycnidiophore bearing
pycnidiospores. Pycnidiophores are hyaline, short and rod shaped. Pycnidiospores are
hyaline, thin, one celled and oval shaped. Pycnidia will act either as secondary inoculum or
primary inoculum. Sclerotia survive in the bark shredding and initiate new infection.
Alternate hosts
Blackgram, soyabean, peanut, chickpea, sunflower, sesame, alfalfa, cotton, glory lily
etc.
Epidemiology
The fungus is primarily soil-inhabiting. It survives in the soil mainly as microsclerotia
that germinate repeatedly during the crop-growing season. Low C : N ratio in the soil and
high bulk density as well as high soil moisture content adversely affect the survival of
sclerotia. Germination of microsclerotia occurs throughout the growing season when
temperatures are between 28° and 35° C.
Disease management
Cultural
Remove the infected plants and provide adequate drainage.
Chemical
Dipping stem cuttings in carbendazim (0.1%) for 20 minutes before planting followed
by drenching with carbendazim (0.1%) on 30 days after planting is effective in managing the
root rot disease.
Disease of Medicinal crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Biological
Soil application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 2.5 kg/ha along with neem cake 250
kg/ha, dipping stem cuttings in P. fluorescens (2 g/litre) for 20 minutes before planting
followed by drenching with P. fluorescens (2 g/litre) on 30 days after planting is effective in
managing the root rot disease.
Host resistance
Medicinal coleus variety Co-1 is tolerant to root rot disease.
Integrated strategies
Sanitation, soil application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 2.5 kg/ha along with neem
cake 250 kg/ha, dipping stem cuttings in P. fluorescens (2 g/litre) for 20 minutes before
planting followed by drenching with carbendazim (0.1%) on 30 days after planting is
effective in managing the root rot disease.
2 Wilt – Fusarium chlamydosporum
Occurrence and distribution
Wilt caused by Fusarium chlamydosporum is a destructive disease of C. forskohlii
causing heavy losses of more than 50% in south India.
Diagnostic symptoms
The symptoms include gradual yellowing, marginal necrosis and withering of leaves
followed by loss in vigor and premature death.
Biology of the causal agent
Fusarium chlamydosporum is the causal organism and is widely distributed in soil
and organic substrates. It is a polymorphic fungus. Conidiophores are short, simple or
branched and septate. Macroconidia is thick walled, hyaline, curved, 3-5 septate, each with a
short, curved and pointed apical cell and foot shaped basal cell. Microconidia is hyaline,
spindle shaped, aseptate, produced singly or sometimes in pairs. Thick-walled
chlamydospores are formed either single or in chain, terminally or intercalary on the somatic
hyphae.
Taxonomic position
Kingdom: Fungi, Phylum: Ascomycota, Subphylum: Pezizomycotina, Class:
Sordariomycetes, Order: Hypocreales, Family: Nectriaceae
Life cycle
The pathogen is soil borne and remains in infested soils for up to ten years. The
pathogen enters the plant through the roots and is then spread throughout the plant by the
vascular system. Fusarium produces three types of asexual spores: microconidia,
Disease of Medicinal crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

macroconidia, and chlamydospores. The microconidia (hyaline, aseptate, spindle shaped) are
the most abundantly produced spores. Macroconidia are multiseptate, hyaline and curved.
Chlamydospores are usually formed singly or in pairs. The affected plant transpires more
than it can transport, the stomata close, the leaves wilt, and the plant dies. After the plant dies
the fungus invades all tissues, sporulates, and continues to infect neighboring plants.
Alternate hosts
Banana, tomato, potato, crossandra, rice, maize, cotton etc.
Epidemiology
Fusarium wilt is a warm-weather disease, most prevalent on acid, sandy soils. Soil
and air temperatures of 28C are optimum for disease.
Disease management
Cultural
Remove the infected plants.
Chemical
Dipping stem cuttings in carbendazim (0.1%) for 20 minutes before planting followed
by drenching with carbendazim (0.1%) on 30 days after planting is effective in managing the
root rot disease.
Biological
Dipping stem cuttings in Pseudomonas fluorescens (0.2%) for 20 minutes before
planting followed by drenching with P. fluorescens (0.2%) on 30 days after planting is
effective in managing the root rot disease.
Host resistance
Medicinal coleus variety Co1 is tolerant to wilt disease.
Integrated strategies
Sanitation, soil application of Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 2.5 kg/ha along with neem
cake 250 kg/ha, dipping stem cuttings in P. fluorescens (2 g/litre) for 20 minutes before
planting followed by drenching with carbendazim (0.1%) on 30 days after planting is
effective in managing the wilt disease.
Disease of Medicinal crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

2. Diseases of Senna and their management

Senna (Cassia angustifolia)
Indian senna belongs to Caesalpiniaceae family and is a native of Yemen and Saudi
Arabia. It is cultivated in drier tracts of Rajastan, Gujarat and Tamilnadu. Leaves and tender
pods are used as natural laxative both in modern as well as traditional systems of medicine. It
increases the peristalitic movement of the colon. The laxative principles are two glycosides
viz. Sennoside A and Sennoside B.

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

Damping-off Macrophomina phaseolina
Leaf blight Alternaria alternata
Leaf spots Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

1. Damping off and wilt

Damping-off of seedlings becomes a major problem in the fields having poor drainage
condition. The disease was first reported by Patel and Patel (1984) from Gujarat.
Diagnostic symptoms
 The disease affected the plants in patches within a field.
 The infected seedlings showed characteristic blackening of the collar region.
 The dark zone extended upward and the plants died. Upon uprooting, the seedlings
showed decaying dark brown to black coloured root systems.
 The grown up plants at times got infected by the same causal organism. Such plants
showed typical wilting symptoms.
 Blackening of the collar regions leading to the death of the plants were also seen in
these cases.
Causal organism: Macrophomina phaseolina(Tassi) Goid.
Syn: Rhizoctonia bataticola (Taub) Butler.
Smooth, black, hard sclerotia were found within the roots. The sclerotia were 100  to
1 mm in diameter under natural conditions whereas varied from 50 to 300  in artificial
culture media. Dark brown pycnidia of 100 to 200  dia having apical ostioles released
hyaline ellipsoid to obovoid conidia (14-30×5-10 m).
Management
 Restoring good drainage can minimise the disease in great extent.
 Seed treatment with Thiram or Captan at 2.5 g per kg of seeds to protects the seedlings.
Disease of Medicinal crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 Drenching the field with Carbendazim @ of 0.2 %

 If the disease appears in the field, it is better to discontinue growing senna on the same
plot and resort to summer ploughing followed by green manuring for at least two
consecutive seasons.
2. Leaf Spots and Blights
Symptoms:
 Leaf blight disease has been reported cause serious damage to senna crop.
 Initial symptoms are minute, dark brown circular s[pots on the laminae especially at
the tip and margins of the leaflets.
 The spots enlarged to 3-8 µm turned brown to black in colour and became irregular.
 Chlorotic areas from the tip and margins were found to spread over the entire leaf
blade leading to drying and premature leaf fall.
 Older leaves were more susceptible to infection than young ones. Cassia acutifolia
was less susceptible compared to C. angustifolia (Pillai and Patel, 1979 & 1982).
Causal organism: Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler
Management:
Spraying 0.2% of any chemicals like mancozeb, Bordeaux mixture, benlate, benomyl,
captafol and copperoxychloride thrice at fortnightly intervals over a period of 5-6 weeks is
sufficient to minimise the disease severity.
Singh et al., (1996) reported a new leaf blight disease affecting C. angustifolia. The
symptoms consisted of small, pale to dark brown spots that became large lesions in later
stage. The lesions first appeared on the tips and margins of leaf lets and later coalesced
leading to complete necrosis of leaves. The disease caused blighted appearance in the field.
Dark irregular spots were also observed on the stem ansd pods showed irregular
discolouration. Infected stem often collapsed thereby causing death of the plants.
Causal organism: Alternaria cassiae Jurair & Khan.
3. Leaf spots:
A new leaf spot disease of C. angustifolia was reported from the experimental plantations in
Lucknow (India). Initial symptoms appeared as small pinhead brown to dark brown spots on
the leaf lamina. The spots enlarged towards the margins resulting to death and defoliation
(Gupta et al., 1997)
Causal organism: Colletotrichum gloeosporides (Penz) Sacc.
Disease of Medicinal crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Aceruli on necrotic areas or on clearly defined lesions on the leaves, usually setose,
sometimes sparsely setose, glabrous, round, elongated or irregular. Setae variable in length,
rarely more than 200 µm long and 4-8 µm wide, 1-4 septate, brown slightly swollen at the
base and tapering to the apex on which conidia are usually borne. Conidia cylindrical
sometimes slightly ellipsoide with round apex and narrow truncate base, hyaline, aseptate,
uninucleate, 9-2 × 4-6 µm formed on unicellular, hyaline or faintly brown conidiophores.
Colonies on Potato Dextrose Agar medium (PDA) are greyish white to dark grey. Conidia
more variable in size and shape than the host.
Perfect state: Glomerella cingulata (stonem) Spauld.
Perithecia occasionally formed in young cultures more common in older cultures.
Appressoria formed on mycelium in old cultures. Perithecia are observed on various parts of
the host, usually on dead leaves and twigs, solitary or aggregated globose to obpyriform, dark
brown to black 85-300 µm dia, wall upto 8 cell thick, pseudoparechymatous within, ostiole
slightly papillate, circular, canal lined with periphyses. Asci 8 spored, clavate to cylindrical,
thickened at apex, 35-80 × 8-14 µm interspersed with paraphyses forming group at base of
the perithecium. Ascospores are oval to cylindrical to fusiform, unicellular hyaline.

Glomerella cingulata: A. acervulus, B. Conidiophores,

C. conidia, D. Perithecium, E. ascus, F. appresorium
formation G. ascospores

A number of leaf spot and leaf blight diseases of minor importance have been
reported to affect senna. Leaf blights caused by Phyllosticta sp and Cercospora sp were
observed in the later stage of growth of the plants. Cloudy and humid weather conditions
favoured spread of these diseases. The disease appeared as small brown irregularly scattered
lesions on the leaves. Spraying with Dithane M-45 (0.15%) was recommended for the control
of these disease. (Pareek et al., 1980).
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Black pepper and their management

Diseases Pathogen

Quick wilt/Foot rot Phytophthora capsici

Slow wilt Fusarium solani, Radophilus similis, Meloidogyne sp

Anthracnose/Pollu disease Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes

Minor diseases

Basal wilt Sclerotium rolfsi

Stunt Cucumber mosaic virus, Pepper yellow mottle virus

1. Quick wit/Foot rot: Phytophthora capsici

 Also causes of Quick wit/Foot rot of Betel vine
 Appearance of black spots on tender leaves which have fibrate margins.
 Succulent shoot tips of freshly emerging runner shoots turn black.
 The stalk region of infected berries gets blackened which may lead to spike
shedding and rotting of berries.
 Yellowing, wilting, defoliation and drying up of a part of the vine.
 Rotting and blackening can be observed on roots.
 The branches break up at nodes and the entire vine collapses within a month.
Disease cycle:
Primary source of inoculum:
 Infected planting materials and oospores present in the soil
Secondary spread:
 Zoospores in soil water, Rain splashes, Contaminated farm implements
 Disease is severe during wet period (June-July to August-September)
Management:
 Removal and destruction of dead vines along with root system.
 Selection of Disease free Planting material.
 Injury to the root system due to cultural practices such as digging should be avoided.
 The freshly emerging runner shoots should not be allowed to trail on the ground.
 A foliar spray with Bordeaux mixture 1% and drenching of 0.2% Copper
oxychloride after onset of monsoon.
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 Host resistance : Resistant black pepper lines, IISR-Sakthi, IISR-Thevam, Natar-

1 and Petaling-2.

2. Slow decline : Fusarium solani, Radophilus similis, Meloidogyne sp

Symptoms:
 Gradual reduction in the vigour and productivity of the vine leading to death over a
period of few years.
 The root damage causes yellowing of leaves, interveinal chlorosis, tip burn of the
leaves and dieback of aerial stems.
 R. similis causes lesions on the feeder roots causing root necrosis.
 M. incognita causes root knots or galls on the root system.
Disease cycle:
Primary source of infection:
 Infected planting materials, soil and chlamadospore
Secondary spread:
 Irrigation water, Root contact, Contaminated farm implements.
 The diseased vines exhibit foliar yellowing from October onwards coinciding with
depletion of soil moisture.
3. Anthracnose/Pollu disease: Colletotrichum gloeosporiodes
Symptoms :
 Chlorotic angular leaf spots surrounded by yellowish halo are a typical symptom.
 The infection starts from the tip of the spike and gradually progresses upwards.
 Infected spikes turn black, shrivel and shed off.
 Causes a mild crack on some berries.
Disease cycle:
Primary source: Infected plant debris
Secondary spread: Air borne conidia
Management:
 Sprays with Bordeaux mixture 1% during June-late July and late august. or
 Mancozeb 0.2% during will control the disease
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Ginger and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal Agent

Rhizome rot Pythium aphanidermatum, and P. myriotylum

Fusarium oxysporium f. sp zingiberi,

Bacterial wilt Ralstonia solanacearum

Ginger leaf spot Phyllosticta zingiberi

1. Rhizome rot: Pythium aphanidermatum, P. myriotylum and Fusarium

oxysporium f.sp zingiberi,
Symptoms:
 Yellowing of lower leaves and proceeds to upper leaves.
 In the seedling stage, rhizomes are infected and causes damping off.
 Roots arising form the affected rhizome become rotten and show brown
discoloration of the rhizome tissue.
 Sometimes the pseudostem comes off easily with a gentle pull.
 The rotten parts attract other fungi, bacteria and insects particularly the rhizome fly.
 During the rainy season, this disease spreads very fast from infected field to
healthy field.
Disease cycle:
 Infected rhizomes used for seed are the main agents of introducing the fungus in the
field.
 Diseased plant debris containing oospores is the main source of soil-borne primary
inoculums.
 Low-lying fields and water-logging are conducive to disease development.
 Secondary spread of Zoospores through irrigation water.
Management:
 Avoid water logging condition.
 Rhizomes treated with (Trichoderma viride) @ 5g / kg rhizome for 30 minutes
 Soil application of Trichoderma viride (2.5 kg mixed with 50 kg FYM) 10-15 days
before sowing.
 Remove the affected plants and drench around the infected plants, with Bordeaux
mixture (1%) or Copper oxychloride @ 0.2 %
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 Dip rhizome in systemic fungicides viz. Ridomil MZ 72 @ 2g/liter of water or

Topsin M @ 2g/liter for 20 minutes and allow to air dry prior to planting.

2. Bacterial wilt : Ralstonia solanacearum

Symptoms:
 The lower most leaf shows yellow to bronze coloration of leaf margins, become
flaccid and spreads upwards.
 Water soaked linear streaks are seen in the collar region.
 The affected pseudostem comes out with a gentle pull slimy to touch and bacterial
ooze exudes when pressed between fingers.
 The lesions spread to the rhizomes, infected rhizome is kept under water, a turbid
bacterial ooze streams out.
 The rotten rhizomes emit a foul smell, become discoloured and turns black.
Disease cycle:
 The pathogen is soil born.
 It has a wide host range infecting several solanaceous crops
 Secondary spreads through irrigation water
Management:
 Seed rhizome contamination is the major source of infection. Hence, procure only
healthy rhizome from disease free area.
 Treat the rhizomes with Streptocyclin (20g/100 litre water).
 Remove the affected clumps and drench the soil with Copper oxychloride 0.2%.
 Treat seed rhizomes with 0.3% Dithane Z-78 or 0.3% Blitox-50 and 200 ppm
Streptocycline for 30 min. each and store in sand-lined pits.
3. Ginger leaf spot: Phyllosticta zingiberi
Symptoms:

 Small spindle to oval spots appear on younger leaves.

 The spots have white papery centers and dark brown margins surrounded by
yellowish halos.
 The spot later increase in size and coalesce to form larger spots which eventually
decrease the photosynthetic area.
 In the case of severe infection the entire leaves dry up.
Mode of spread: Rain splashes
Management: Spray (0.2%) Dithane Z-78 or 1% Bordeaux mixture or Captafol
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Cardamom and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent
Damping off / rhizome rot Pythium vexans and Rhizoctonia solani
Azukal / capsule rot - Phytophthora nicotianae and P. meadii.
Katte disease/ marble mosaic Cardamom mosaic virus
Minor Diseases
Phyllosticta leaf spot Phyllosticta spp.
Leaf blight Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

1. Damping off / Rhizome rot/ Clump rot: Pythium vexans and Rhizoctonia solani
Symptoms:
 Yellowing of foliage, followed by drooping of leaves.
 The collar region becomes brittle and breaks off at slight disturbance.
 Rotten rhizomes become soft, dark brown coloured and emit a foul smell.
Disease cycle:
 The disease is soil-borne.
 Seedlings from infected nursery can carry disease to main field.
 Poor drainage, root grub infestation increases the disease.
 Rainfall will increase the disease by 80%.
Management:
 Destruction of the affected clumps, Provide proper drainage.
 Avoid the crowding of plants in nursery.
 Addition of Phosphatic fertilizers will reduce the disease in field.
 Soil solarization of nursery beds.
 Drenching with Bordeaux mixture @1.00%
2. Azukal /Capsule rot: Phytophthora nicotianae and P. meadii.
Symptoms:
 Appearance of water soaked lesions on tender leaves and capsules.
 Lesions later turns necrotic, surrounded by yellow halo.
 In advanced stages, the leaves rot and shred along the veins.
 Finally, the affected leaves break at the base of petiole and remain hanging.
 Infection on immature capsules results in rotting which emit a foul smell and
later, fall off.
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 Mature capsules when infected, become shriveled up on drying.

Disease cycle:
 The disease is maximum during august when monsoon is prevalent.
 The fungus is soil-borne and survives in the form of oospores.
 Secondary spread of zoospores through irrigation water.
Management:
 Trashing and destruction of the infected parts.
 Adequate drainage should be ensured.
 Prophylactic sprays with Bordeaux mixture @1% during May-June, July –
August. September.
 Application of Trichoderma viride or T. harzianum to the plants along with FYM
during May and September –October.
 Drenching of plant basins with 0.2 % Copper oxychloride (COC)
3. Katte disease/marble mosaic: Cardamom mosaic virus
Symptoms:
 Spindle shaped chlorotic flecks on youngest leaf
 Subsequent leaves show characteristic mosaic symptoms.
 The leaf sheaths and pseudostems also show mosaic pattern.
 The infection is systemic in nature and gradually spreads to all tillers of affected
plant.
 The affected plants produce shorter and slender tillers with a few shorter
panicles.
Disease cycle:
 Virus belongs to Poty virus group
 Transmitted by Aphids- Pentalonai nigronervosa f . caladii.
 All stages of the vector viz., the nymphs, winged and non-winged forms of
adults can transmit the disease.
Management:
 Remove and destroy the diseased plants.
 Use healthy rhizomes for planting purpose.
 Application of Systemic insecticides
 Eradicate the alternate hosts like, Alphinia sp., Colacasia
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Cinnamon and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal Agent
Leaf spot and die-back Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides
Canker Phytophthora Cinnamomi

1. Leaf spot and die-back : Colletotrichum Gloeosporioides

Symptoms:
 Small spots develop on leaf lamina which gradually enlarge and coalesce to form
irregular patches.
 Ultimately the leaves dry up and the pathogen spreads to the stem resulting in die-
back symptoms.
 Young seedlings are killed. In mature trees, small specks appear which increase in
size resulting in necrotic blotches.
 Light to deep brown concentric zones develop on the spots during alternate dry and
wet conditions.
 Shot hole symptoms are rarely noticed.
Management:
Collect and destroy the infected plant debris.
With the initiation of the disease, spray the crop with Bordeaux mixture (5:5:50) or copper
oxychloride (0.3%) or combination of mancozeb (0.25%) and carbendazim (0.1%) and repeat
at 14 days interval.
2. Canker: Phytophthora Cinnamomi
Symptoms:
 irregular and vertical necrotic stripes (1-5 cm) appear on affected plants. The cankers
are sunken with zonations and separated from the healthy tissue by a black line.
Pathogen:
 The disease is caused by phytophthora cinnamomi Rands.
 The hyphae are broad, hyphal swellings typically spherical.
 Sporangiophore are thin and occasionally branched.
 Sporangia are broadly ellipsoidal or ovoid, papilla absent.
Disease cycle
The optimum temperature for growth of the fungus is 24-28o C.
Disease of Spice Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Management:
 Soil application of sulphur has been recommended for the control of this disease.
 Soil application of Metalaxyl 2gm per litre of water
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Rose and their management

Diseases Pathogen
Powdery Sphaerotheca pannosa var. roseae
Mildew
Black Spot Diplocarpon rosae
Rust Phragmedium mucronatum
Die-Back Diplodia rosarum, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum
gloesporiodes

1. POWDERY MILDEW:
This is a very serious disease of this crop both in open and protected structures
and affects both quality and quantity of cut flowers. Severe mildew growth reduces
leaf growth, the aesthetic value of plants, photosynthetic efficiency and there by
plants growth and stability of cut flowers.
Symptoms:
 Small, discrete lesions appear on the stems, leaves or sometimes on the flowers
 Production of numerous conidia gives the affected plants a white powdery
appearance.
 Newly unfolded leaves are most susceptible, becoming increasingly resistant with
age.
 The young growing tips are completely covered by the mildew.
 As the cells are killed, dark spots may be noticed on the infected leaves.
 Infected flower buds do not open.
 The petals may become discoloured, dwarfed and finally die
Etiology
 The disease is caused by Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr. Ex Fr.) var. roseae Wor.
 The appendages on cleistothecia of S. pannosa are vestigial or lacking and its
ascocarps are usually embedded in felt like mycelium.
 Each cleistothecium contain single ascus which bear usually 8 hyaline and elliptical
ascospores
Disease cycle:
Primary source of inoculum:
Infection of dormant buds is the primary mode of perennation
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Secondary spread:
Air borne conidia
Epidemiology:
Warm and humid weather with cool nights favours the development of the disease.
A temperature of 210C and relative humidity ranging between 97-99% is quite
effective for the spread of the pathogen.
Management:
 Pruning of infected shoots at the end of the season and burning of these shoots will
help to prevent overwintering of the fungus.
 Lowering of the night humidity by fans and /or venting or heating is recommended for
greenhouse roses.
 Spraying the crop with fungicides like hexaconazole (0.05%), difenoconazole
(0.03%), triadimefon (0.075%), fenarimol (0.04%) or carbendazim (0.1%) effectively
check this disease.
 Biological control of pathogenic fungus can be obtained by applying hyper parasites
like Sporothrix floculosa, Penicillium sp., Cladosporium sp., Cephalosporium sp. and
Tilletiopsis pallescens.
2. BLACK SPOT
It has also been called as leaf blotch, leaf spot, blotch, rose actinonema and rose leaf
asteroma and star sooty mould. This disease is considered as most troublesome disease of
garden roses worldwide including India.
Symptoms:
 Brown to black, nearly circular spots (2-12 mm in dia.) often has fringed margins with
a feathery hyphal growth which appear on both sides of leaves.
 The affected leaves turn yellow and drop prematurely due to the formation of ethylene
which is more in green leaves infected with this disease.
 Other above ground parts like fruits, sepals, stipules, petioles and peduncles may also
develop similar spots.
 Infections on petioles and stipules are usually small and inconspicuous while petal
infection usually causes formation of small, reddish spots accompanied by distortion
of the surrounding tissues.
 Close examination of the lesion reveal the presence of small black acervuli which
may be distributed over lesion surface or found in concentric circles.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Etiology: Diplocarpon rosae (Ana: Marssonina rosae)

 The apothecia are globose to disc shaped, subcuticular, radiate and are 100-300 µm in
dia.
 Asci are inoperculate, oblong and cylindrical, short stalked, 70-80 x 12-18 µm and
contain a pore.
 Each ascus contains 8 ascospores which are oblong, elliptical, hyaline, and unequally
two-celled, constricted at the septum and are 20-25 x 5-6 µm in size.
 The paraphyses are numerous, filiform, septate and enlarged at the tips.
 Conidia are 18-25 x 5-6 µm in size, hyaline, oval to elliptical with single septation
and are formed in an acervulus.
 Acervuli are formed on leaves and young shoots during the summer, while apothecia
and spermogonia are borne on decaying overwintering leaves.
Disease cycle:
Primary source of infection:
 The fungus perennates on overwintering rose leaves and infected stem tissue.
 Although the perfect stage has been recorded in certain geographic areas, but their
role is not understood in the pathogen life cycle.
Secondary spread:
Air borne conidia
Management:
 Removal of overwintering inoculum by eliminating infected leaves is helpful in
limiting the inoculum spread.
 Avoid overhead irrigation and dense planting to allow good air circulation through
leaf canopy and do not allow leaves to remain wet or high humidity for more than
7-12 hours.
 Sprays of Bordeaux mixture (1%), carbamates, ergosterol-inhibiting fungicides like
triforine, benomyl-zinc, chlorothalonil (0.2%), mancozeb(0.2%) provide effective
control of this disease.
 Jawahar and Pusa Sonia varieties of rose are resistant to black spot disease
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

3. RUST
The disease is of worldwide distribution. Heavy losses occur due to premature
defoliation.
Symptoms:
 On upper leaf surface, minute, orange pycnia appear.
 Yellow to brown pustules impart rusty appearance to the shoots.
 The fungus produces aecial stage in spring.
 The aecia are prominent as yellowish lesions on the lower surface and the spores get
released as the soral membrane fragments following the rupture of the epidermis
 They are erumpent, bright orange, usually surrounded by a distinct but narrow
chlorotic area.
 Aecia and pycnia also appear on petioles and young woody stems.
 After aeciospores infect the leaves, the uredinial stage starts forming as a whitish
fleck on the lower surface of the lesion.
 Mature uredinia are reddish, orbicular-shaped and contain orange coloured
urediniospores which are released about 14 days after the leaf become infected.
 These spores continue to cause new infections throughout the summer.
Etiology:
Several species of Phragmedium are responsible for this diseases but P. mucronatum,
P.fusiformie, P.tuberculatum, P. rosae-pimpinelifoliae are important.
Disease cycle:
Primary source: The rust fungus overwinters either in the form of teliospores or as
mycelium in the infected stems.
Secondary spread: Air borne uredospore
Epidemiology
 The optimum temperature range for aeciospores and urediniospores germination lies
in between 15 to 21o C while teliospores are produced at 18o C. Wind helps in release
of rust spores and their short and long distance dispersal.
Management:
 Remove infected leaves and stem infection near the crown and destroy them.
 Perform severe pruning to destroy the stem infection.
 Spray the plants with oxycarboxin or ergosterol biosynthesis inhibiting fungicides.
 Hyperparasites such as Darluca fulvum, Tuberculina vinosa and Verticillium lecani
can be exploited as biocontrol agents.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

4. DIE-BACK
Symptoms:
 Drying of twigs from tip down wards.
 Blackening of the twigs.
 The disease spreads to root and causes complete killing of the plants
Pathogen: Diplodia rosarum, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum gloesporiodes
Management:
 Pruning should be done so that lesions on the young shoots will be eliminated.
 Apply chaubatia paste in the pruned area.
Minor diseases:
a) Stem and Graft canker: Coniothyrium fuckelii (Perfect stage- Leptosphaeria
coniothyrium)
b) Alternaria Leaf Spot: Alternaria alternate & Alternaria tenuis var. rosicola
c) Grey Mould: Botrytis cinerea
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Jasmine and their management

Disease Pathogen/Causal Agent

Rust Uromyces hobsoni
Wilt Fusarium solani and Sclerotium rolfsii
Leaf spot Septoria aichisonia, Cercospora jasminicola,
Alternaria jasmine

1. Rust: Uromyces hobsoni

Symptoms:

 The fungus attacks leaves, stem and inflorescences.

 Leaves show the presence of orange coloured aecial cups on both sides, but
predominantly on the lower surfaces (Plate-1a & b).
 The fructification or sori are formed on the thickened portions.
 The sori are initially yellow owing to their contents, the aeciospores later turn darker
due to formation of teliospores.
 The infected portion becomes hypertrophied, cankers develop at the affected portions
especially on the stem and blisters or swellings are formed on the leaves.
 The affected portion later thickened and gets puckered and flower buds do not open in
severe conditions.
Pathogen: Uromyces hobsoni
 The pathogen produces aecia which are raised, scattered, orange-coloured, while
aeciospores are orange-yellow, thin-walled, 16.5-21 x12-18 µm in size.
 The teleutospores are dark brown, one celled, mostly ovate, thick-walled, 35-45x20-
30 µm in size and pedicel is hyaline or yellow in colour.
 The spermogonial stage is not observed.
Management:
 Collect and destroy the infected plant debris.
 With the initiation of the disease, spray the crop either with mancozeb (0.25%) or EBI
fungicides like hexaconazole (0.1%) or difenoconazole (0.05%) and repeat at 10 days
interval.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

2. LEAF SPOT/BLIGHT:
Symptoms:
Different blight symptoms are produced by two different pathogens:
a) Cercospora jasminicola
 The symptoms appear as circular to irregular, reddish- brown spots with a darker border
on both surfaces of leaf and on other aerial parts of the plant.
 Severe infection leads to premature defoliation which has an adverse effect on
flowering.
 The pathogen also attacks the stem and branches.
b) Alternaria jasmini
 Symptoms appear as reddish brown circular spots (2-8 mm in dia.) on the upper surface
of leaves which spread rapidly during rainy season.
 In severe disease conditions, vegetative buds and young branches dry up.
Pathogen:
 Cercospora jasminicola infects Jasminum officinale and Alternaria jasmini attacks J.
auriculatum.
 C. jasminicola produces conidiophores which are amphigenous, arising in groups on a
dark brown, thick-walled stroma, simple, septate, pale to olivaceous brown and
geniculate with hyaline and narrow tips.
 However conidia are numerous, hyaline, multicelled with 9-13 transverse septa, 36-88 x
1.53-4.5µm, obclavate to cylindrical, straight to curved with obconically truncate base
and subacute tip.
 Conidia of A. jasmini are muriform, beaked, brown, smooth and in chains.
Disease cycle and epidemiology:
 The spread of the disease is high during rainy season with slight high temperature and
humidity regimes.
 Disease cycle and epidemiology are explained in detail under tomato and okra
diseases.
Management
 Collect and burn the infected plant debris.
 With the initiation of the disease, spray the crop either with carbendazim (0.1%) or
benomyl (0.1%) or mancozeb (0.25%), or copper oxychloride (0.3%) and repeat at
fortnightly interval.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Marigold and their management

1. Damping Off - Pythium sp.

Symptoms:
 The disease is most prevalent at the seedling stage.
 Necrotic spots and rings develop on the young seedlings causing collapse of the
seedlings.
 Considerable loss is sustained if seedlings are not properly looked after.
Management:
 Soil sterilization by Formalin @ 2% before sowing
 Spraying of Dithane Z-78 @ 2 g/ litre of water is effective in controlling the disease.
2. Alternaria leaf Spot / Blight - Alternaia dianthi,
Symptoms:
 Tiny purple spots enlarge into large lesions with a purple margin and a yellow-green
border surrounding a gray-brown center covered with black spores.
 Several lesions may expand and coalesce to form large, irregular necrotic areas that
eventually kill the entire leaf.
 The branches are most frequently infected at the nodes and branch base.
 These infection centers enlarge to form cankers, which eventually girdle the stem,
causing the branch to wilt and the girdled portion to turn yellow and die.
3. Flower blight - Alternaia diathicola
Symptoms:
 Tan to dark brown lesions on sepals and petals.
 These lesions are covered with dark brown powdery spores that are disseminated by
wind and rain.
 Extended wet periods with light night rains favor outbreaks of this disease.
Management:
 Spray with Mancozeb 0.2% or Copper oxy chloride@ 0.2% or Propiconazole 0.1%
4. Powdery Mildew - Oidium sp. and Leveillula taurica
Symptoms:
 The symptoms are in the form of whitish powdery growth on the aerial parts of the
plant.
Management: Spraying Sulfex (3g/litre of water) can effectively control the disease.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Crossandra and their management

1. WILT
The disease is considered as one of the most damaging disease of this crop and cause
considerable yield losses.
Symptoms:
 The characteristics symptoms of the disease include drooping of the leaves, marginal
yellowing and rotting of the roots or rootlets.
Pathogen:
 The disease is caused by Rhizoctonia sp. and Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc.
 The mycelium of Rhizoctonia sp. is septate, brownish, dolipore type, 5-14 µm wide.
 The lateral branches of the mycelium are constricted at branching point and possess
septum near the junction.
 The sclerotia are small and brown to black in colour.
 F. solani mycelium is septate and produces microconidia, macroconidia and
chlamydospores.
Disease cycle and epidemiology:
 These fungi overwinter in the infected plant debris as well as in soil as sclerotia or
chlamydospores.
 Moderate to high temperatures with fair amount of moisture was found conducive for
disease development.
 The infection is more severe if the nematode (Pratylenchus sp.) predisposes the plant
for the attack of the pathogens.
Management:
 Collect and destroy the infected plant debris to reduce the primary inoculum.
 Follow long crop rotation.
 Soil amendment with neem cake (250g/m2) and soil solarization for 40-45 days
during summer months are also helpful in managing this disease.
 Drenching of soil with carbendazim (0.1%) or thiophanate methyl (0.1%)
immediately after appearance of the symptoms gave good control.
2. BOTRYTIS SPOT AND BLIGHT
Symptoms:
 The disease appears during the rainy season.
 Infected flowers show dark brown spots.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 In favourable weather, the disease assumes serious proportions and entire

inflorescence dries up. The infection occurs on the leaves and stalks.

Pathogen:
 The fungus responsible for this disease is Botrytis elliptica (Berk.) Cook.
 Branched conidiophore bear conidia which are aseptate, hyaline, botryos, mostly 20-
30 x 13-18 µm in size
 Sclerotia are sometimes forms
Epidemiology:
 Pathogen perennates either in the form of mycelium or sclerotia in the infected plant
debris.
 Warm and humid weather is favourable for this disease.
Management:
 Collect and destroy the infected plant debris.
 With the initiation of the disease, spray the crop with carbendazim (0.1%) and repeat
at 10 to 14 days interval.
3. SCLEROTIUM WILT
Symptoms:
 The initial symptoms of the disease appear as flaccidity and drooping of leaves which
ultimately become yellow and finally dry up.
 The fungus mainly affects the roots and collar portion of the stem.
 Both tubers and roots show wilting symptoms.
 Thick cottony growth of the fungus is visible on the rotten stem and petioles at soil
level.
Pathogen:
 The disease is caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.
 The fungus consists of coarse hyphae and the size of cells ranges from 150-250 µm x
2-9 µm.
 The hyphae of this fungus pathogen are characterized by the presence of clamp
connections and a peculiar method of branching, which are valuable aids in
ascertaining its taxonomic position.
 The sclerotia (0.5-1.5 mm in dia.) at first white but becoming brown with age are
more or less smooth and glossy and somewhat resemble mustard seed.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Disease cycle and Epidemiology:

 The fungus overwinters in the form of sclerotia in soil.
 Warm and humid climatic conditions favour this disease.
Management:
 Cultural practices like crop rotation, collection and destruction of infected plant parts
and soil solarization for atleast 45 days should be followed during summer months.
 Drench the soil with zineb (0.3%) and repeat at 10 to 14 days interval.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Tuberose and their management

A. FUNGAL DISEASES
1. CROWN ROT OR STEM ROT OR FOOT AND TUBER ROT
Symptoms:
 The fungus attacks the leaves and flowers at the ground level and causes rotting which
ultimately results in defoliation and toppling of spikes.
 Mycelia masses appear on leaf surface at or near the soil level.
 Soon the infected portion loose green colour due to rotting which extend and engulf
whole leaf.
 The infected leaves fall down prematurely which results in the weakening of infected
plant and such plants do not produce flowering shoots.
Pathogen:
 The disease is incited by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.
 The fungus has been is described in chapter Crossandra diseases.
Disease cycle and epidemiology:
 The fungus overwinters in the soil as sclerotia.
 Sclerotial germination is induced by volatiles that emanate from crop residues in the
soil.
 Disease development is affected by high temperature and moisture, which favour
sclerotial germination and optimum mycelial growth.
 Sclerotia germinate at 10- 35o C, and the fungus requires > 99 per cent relative
humidity.
 Sclerotial germination decreases with increased soil depth due to reduced aeration.
Management:
 The infection can be reduced by minimizing the moisture level of soil and destruction
of plant debris.
 Follow long crop rotation.
 Solarize the soil atleast 40 days during summer months.
 Soil amendment with oil cakes (250g/m2) also reduces the disease.
 With the initiation of the disease, drench the plants with propineb (0.25%) and repeat
at 10 to 14 days interval.
Disease of Ornamental Crops Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

2. BORTYTIS SPOTS AND BLIGHT

Symptoms:
 On leaves, somewhat water-soaked, small to large spots appear with brown margins
which become necrotic during dry conditions.
Pathogen:
 Botrytis elliptica (Berk.) Cook
 Conidia are aseptate, hyaline, botryose mostly 20-30 x 13-18 µm in size.
Disease cycle and Epidemiology:
 Pathogen perennates in the form of mycelium or sclerotia
 Warm humid weather favour the disease
Management:
 Spray plants with mancozeb (0.25%) or carbendazim (0.1%) or combi fungicides like
Companion (0.25%).
B) BACTERIAL DISEASES
3. FLOWER BUD ROT
Symptoms:
 The disease is induced by bacterium mainly on young flower buds and results in dry
rotting of buds with brown scorched, necrotic discolouration of peduncles.
 At later stage, bud shrivels and become dry.
Pathogen:
 The disease is caused by a bacterium Erwinia spp.
Disease cycle and Epidemiology:
 Disease spread is more in warm wet period
Management:
 Application of streptocycline (150 ppm) is recommended to control this malady.
 Diseases of Chickpea and their management
Diseases Pathogen
Wilt Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri
Rust Uromyces ciceris-arietini
Ascochyta blight Ascochyta rabiei (P.S: Mycosphaerella pinodes)
Stem and Root rot or dry root rot Rhizoctonia bataticola (Sexual stage: Thanatephorus cucumeris)
Powdery mildew Erysiphe polygoni

1. Wilt : Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri

Symptoms:
 The disease occurs at two stages of crop growth, seedling stage and flowering stage
or adult stage.
 All the leaves turn to yellow and then light brown. Vascular discolouration is
observed on longitudinal splitting of stem.
 Sometimes only a few branches are affected, resulting in partial wilt.
 When split open or cut transversely, brown to black discolouration of the internal
tissues can be seen.
 Grown up plants show typical symptoms of wilting, i.e., drooping of petioles,
and leaflets.
Pathogen:
• Macroconidia: which borne on branched conidiophores, are thin walled, 3 to 5
septate, fusoid and pointed at both ends.
• Microconidia: are oval to cylindrical, hyaline, single or two celled, normally arise on
short conidiophores.
• Chlamydospores: are rough walled or smooth, terminal or intercalary, may be
formed singly or in pairs in chains.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus may be seed-borne and survives in infected plant debris in soil.
 The primary infection is through chlamydospores in soil, which remain viable
up to next crop season.
 The weed hosts also serve as a source of inoculum.
 The secondary spread is through irrigation water, cultural operations and
implements.
Management
 Treat the seeds with Carbendazim or Thiram at 2 g/kg or treat the seeds with
Trichoderma viride at 4 g/kg or Pseudonomas fluorescens @ 10g/kg of seed.
 Apply heavy doses of organic manure or green manure.
 Follow 6-year crop rotation with non-host crops.
 Grow resistant cultures like Kranthi (ICCC 37), Swetha (ICCV-2), ICCV 10,
Avrodhi, G 24, C 214, BG 244, Pusa 212 and JG 315.
2. Rust: Uromyces ciceris-arietini
Symptoms:
 The infection appears as small, oval, brown lesions on both the surface, especially on
lower surface or leaf.
 The lesions, which are uredosori, cover the entire leaf surface.
 Sometimes pustules can be seen on both leaf surfaces.
 Late in the season dark teliosori appear on the leaves.
 The rust pustules may appear on petioles, stems and pods.
 It is heteroecious rust, but the pycnial and aecial stages are unknown.
Disease cycle:
 The uredospores are spherical, brownish yellow in colour, loosely echinulated
 The fungus survives as uredospores in the legume weed Trigonella polycerata during
summer months and serve as primary source of infection.
 The spread is through windborne uredospores.
Management
 Destruction of weed hosts.
 Dust Sulphur at 2 kg/h or spray [email protected]%
 Plantavax @ 0.1%
3. Ascochyta blight Ascochyta rabiei (Perfect stage: Mycosphaerella pinodes)
Symptoms:
 All above ground parts of the plant are attacked and usually seen around flowering
and
podding time
 On leaves, small water-soaked necrotic spots appear that enlarge rapidly under
favourable conditions leading to blighting of leaves.
 On leaflets, the lesions are round or elongated, with grey centres surrounded by
brownish margin.
  The stem and petioles usually break at the point of infection due to girdling. If the
main
stem is girdled at the collar region, the whole plant dies.
 The spots on the stem and pods have pycnidia arranged in concentric circles as
minute block dots.
Favourable Conditions:
 Night temperatures of 100 C and day temperature of 200 C, rains accompanied by
cloudy weather and
 Excessive canopy favour the disease spread.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus survives in the infected plant debris as pycnidia. The pathogen is also
 externally and internally seed-borne. The primary spread is from seed-borne
pycnidia
 and plant debris in the soil. The secondary spreads is mainly through air-borne
conidia.
 Rain splash also helps in the spread of the disease.
Management:
 Grow resistant/tolerant varieties like Gaurav,, BG 261 and GNJ 214.
 Remove and destroy the infected plant debris in the field.
 Follow crop rotation with cereals.
 Deep sowing of seeds, i.e., 15cm or deeper.
 Intercropping with wheat, barley and mustard.
 Treat the seeds with Thiram 2g or Carbendazim 2 g /kg.
 Exposure of seed at 40-50 0 C reduced the survival of A. rabiei by about 40-70 per
cent.
 Spray with [email protected]% or [email protected]%.
4. Stem and Root rot / Dry root rot : Rhizoctonia bataticola (Pycnidial stage:
Macrophomina phaseolina) (Sexual stage: Thanatephorus cucumeris)
Symptoms:
 Generally appears around flowering and podding time in the form of scattered dried
plants.
 The seedlings can also get infected.
 The first symptom of the disease is yellowing of the leaves.
 The affected leaves, petioles and leaflets droop within a day or two.
 The leaves and stems of the affected plants turn straw coloured and plants wilt within
a week.
  The tap roots are dark showing signs of rotting
 Dark minute sclerotial bodies can be seen on the roots exposed or inside the wood.
Disease cycle
 The pathogen survives in the soil in infected host debris as sclerotia for several years.
The
 secondary spread is through farm implements, irrigation water and rain splash.
Favourable conditions
 Maximum ambient temperatures above 300C, minimum above 200C, and moisture
stress favour disease development.
Management:
 Treat the seeds with Carbendazim or Thiram at 2 g/kg or seed pelleting with
Trichoderma viride at 4 g/kg or Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 10g/kg of seed.
 Apply farmyard manure at 10 t/ha.
 Grow tolerant genotypes like ICCV 10
 Diseases of Linseed and their management
Disease Pathogen/causal agent
Rust Melompsora lini
Wilt Fusarium oxysporum sp. lini
Powdery mildew Oidium lini

1. Rust : Melompsora lini

Symptoms:

 Rust pustules develop mostly on leaves stems and bolls

 The pustules produce numerous uredospores which are airborne and cause new cycles of
infections during the season.
 As the season progresses, the orange pustules turn black and produce overwintering telia and
teliospore
Diseases cycle:

 Fungus that overwinters by means of Teliospores on flax debris.

 Uredospores which are airborne are helps in secondary spread of inoculum
 Autoecious rust
Management:

 The disease could be checked by growing resistant varieties.

 Spray of Dithane Z- 78 @ 0.2%.
2. Wilt : Fusarium oxysporum sp. Lini
Symptoms:

 Early infections may kill flax seedlings shortly after emergence.

 While delayed infections cause yellowing, wilting of leaves and death of plants.
 Roots of dead plants turn ashy grey.
 Affected plants occur more commonly in patches but may also be scattered throughout the
field.
Diseases cycle:

 PSI: Chlamydospores present in the soil

 Secondary spread of inoculum through Irrigation water and Agriculture impliments.
Management:

 The recommendation is to grow resistant varieties

 Follow a good crop rotation.
  Soil application of Carbendazim @ 0.2 %
3. Powdery mildew: Oidium lini

Symptoms:

 The symptoms are characterized by a white powdery mass of mycelia that start as small spots
and rapidly spread to cover the entire leaf surface.
 Heavily infected leaves dry up, wither and die.
 Early infections may cause complete defoliation of flax plants.
Disease cycle:
 Primary source: cleistothecia in the infected plant debris in soil.
 Secondary Spread: Air-borne conidia.
Management:
 Remove the infected plant debris and destroy.
 Spray Wettable [email protected]% or dust Sulphur at 25 kg/ha and repeat after 15
days.
 Diseases of senna and their management

Diseases Pathogen/causal organism

Damping off Rhizoctonia bataticola.
Seedling blight Pythium spp
Leaf spot Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keisel,
Phyllosticta spp. and Cercospora spp.
Leaf blight Phyllosticta spp
Cercospora leaf spot Cercospora sp.

1. DAMPING-OFF- Rhizoctonia bataticola.

Disease symptoms
 Seedlings turn dull green and cotyledons droop.
 Water-soaked lesions develop on the hypocotyls at the soil line and seedlings wilt and
collapse.
 Seedlings may also rot in the soil before emergence.
 On older seedlings, a depressed tan to reddish-brown dry lesion may be observed on
the hypocotyl.
Disease cycle:
 Rhizoctonia bataticola
 PSI:Sclerotial bodies
 SSI:Soil borne mycelial strands
Conditions for disease development
 Damping-off is generally most severe under conditions of high soil moisture and/ or
compaction, overcrowding, poor ventilation and cool, damp, cloudy weather.
 Seedlings are most susceptible to damping-off prior to emergence or within the first
week after emergence.
 In greenhouses, incompletely pasteurized soil is common source of damping-off fungi
and overwatering commonly exacerbates damping-off.
Management
 Treatment with Thiram or Captan at 2.5 g/kg of seeds protects the growing seedlings.
 At a later stage its other physiological form, called Macrophomina phaseoli develops;
it causes dry rot in the crop and kills the plant.
 The fields can be drenched with 0.2% Brassicol or 0.5 to 01. %. Rhizoctol, but this
only gives partial control.
 Spraying of Carbandazim (0.03%) or Dithiocarbamate (0.03%) at fortnightly intervals
for 3 times is recommended.
 Seed treatment with Thiram or Captan (2.5 g / kg seed) before sowing is advocated.
2. Leaf spot- Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keisel, Phyllosticta spp. and Cercospora spp.
Symptoms
 Small unclear brown spots scattered over the leaf lamina.
 The minute spot increase in size, forming big spherical or irregular patches.
 Severe in neglected crops
Etiology

 Septate mycelia, inter and intracellular haustoria. any one of the conidia or
conidiophore is coloured
 Asexual spores-Air borne conidia on conidiophore,
 Sexual spores- Ascospores
 Vegetative structure is dormant mycelia.
Epidemiology
 Nutritionally poor soil,
 Temp 28-32o C,
 RH 85-90per cent,
 Cloudy weather
 Susceptible host.
Disease Cycle:
Primary Sources of Inoculum: Dormant mycelia
Secondary Sources of Inoculum: Air borne conidia
Life cycle
 Affected plant parts having Pseudothecium as primary source of inoculum.
 Favourable climate it will release ascospores they flight on to air and land on to the
host, causes infection and causes leaf spot of senna.
 In the affected host conidia are present , they produces conidiophore and cause
infection by flight asexually.
 During adverse climatic conditions the fungi switched on to sexual reproduction
where gametangial contact followed by plasmogamy, karyogamy, mitosis and meiosis
takes place by this inoculum is reproduced
Management
 Spraying of 0.15% Dithane M-45 at fortnight intervals, 3 times in a period of 5-6
weeks, has been found to control the disease effectively.
3. Leaf blight-Phyllosticta spp
 The leaf-blight disease is caused by Phyllosticta spp. usually occurring at the later
stages of growth, in September-October.
  Cloudy days and humid weather conditions favour the spread of the diseases
 Diahane M-45 at fortnightly intervals can control the diseases.
4.Cercospora leaf spot-Cercospora sp.
Symptoms:
 Brown colour spots on lower surface of the leaf,in severe cases blightning takes place
 Leaves falling severe in neglected crop
Etiology
 Cercospora sp.
 Septate mycelium,inter and intracellular haustoria.
 Asexual spores conidia in conidiophores.
 sexual spores-Ascospores,vegetative structure is dormant mycelia.
Epidemiology:
 Temperature-30-320c ,
 RH-80-90 per cent,
 cloudy weather,
 poor management
 PSI-Dormant mycelia
 SSI-Air borne conidia
 DISEASES OF CASHEW

Disease Name Pathogen

Damping off cashew Phytophthora palmivora
Anthracnose Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Die back / Pink Corticium salmonicolor
disease
1. Damping off cashew:
Water soaked spots can be seen on the collar region of the seedlings, such affected parts
girdled the stem. Seedling wilts and toppling over. It’s a sporadic disease seen in patches
C.O: Pythium sp.; Phytophthora palmivora
Oospores and chlamydospores are the dormant structures and survives longer period (2-3
years) act as primary source of inoculum, which are present in the affected debris. Secondary
source is through air, splash borne zoospores.
Management :
• Provide adequate drainage in the beds and polythene bags.
• Drench the beds/bags with 0.1 % Agallol or 1 % Bordeaux mixture.
2.Anthracnose:
C.O: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
• Infection seen on the peduncles of leaves as water soaked leisons. They become
black. It also infects on flowers such flowers turn black and dropping off. Through the
stigma of flower the pathogen enters and infection continues on fruits also turn black
and mummified, necrotic spots also seen on nuts.
• The fungus survives on the affected host debris as dormant mycelia, Perithecia and
these acts as a primary source of inoculum. The Secondary source is air borne conidia
after discharged from acervuli.
Etiology:
Anamorph(Asexual stage) : Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Teleomorph(Sexual stage): Glomerella cingulate
Mycelium is septate and hyaline in colour
Conidiophores are hyaline and unbranched bearing one or more conidia at the apex
Setae are hyaline to subhyaline, oval to oblong with rounded ends, aseptate with 1-2 oil
globules
Disease cycle:
• Primary source of inoculum: Infected plant i.e. dried leaves,branches,flowers and
diseased fruit during transport and storage
 • Secondary spread: The secondary spread through wind borne conidia.
Management :
• Destroy all affected branches
• Spray the plants with 0.5% Bordeaux mixture or Mancozeb 0.25%
• Inflorescence blight :Gloeosporium gloeosporioides

PEACH LEAF CURL: Taphrina deformans

In India this disease is prevalent in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu& Kashmir.
Symptoms:
• The disease first appears in the early spring as the leaves begin to unfold
• The leaf blade thickens and midrib turns yellow &curl
• Finally leaf turn to reddish purple tint
• The reddish velvety surface of lamina is soon covered with a whitish grey bloom of
the fungus on the upper surface
• Both the leaves & petiole may curl
• Affected leaves die & drop immaturely
• Twigs become pale green to yellow, swollen, stunted & exude gummy material
• Flowers and fruits are also infected & drop prematurely
Etiology:
• Mycelia are intercellular and it does not produce specific ascocarp.
• Asci are produced (Open ascus) individually and measure 25to 40 into 8 to11 micro
meter.
• Each ascus bears eight ascospores with a diameter of 3 to 7 micro meter.
Epidemiology:
The disease is prevalent in areas where cool mist spring weather prevails and the dry hot
weather hastens defoliation
Primary source of inoculum: Dormant mycelia in the affected stem
Secondary source of inoculum: Air borne conidia
Management:
• Removal & burning of infected shoots reduce the spread of the disease
• A dormant spray with Bordeaux mixture (1%) with an adhesive & a winter spray
with Bordeaux mixture 1% before bud burst controls the disease
Turmeric Leaf spot: Colletotrichum capsici
Symptoms: Appears as brown spots with white or grey centre .Later the spots coalesce and
eventually dry up. The rhizomes do not develop well.
Favorable conditions: Survives in infected plant debris. Relative humidity of 80 % and
temperature of 21 to 25 ᵒC favors disease development.
Management
Spray with Copper oxychloride @ 2.5 g/lit.or combination of a fungicide containing
Carbendazim and Mancozeb @ 3g/lit or Propiconazole @ 1ml/ litre
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Sunflower and Their management

Diseases Pathogen/causal agent
Alternaria leaf spot / Alternaria helianthi
Blight
Downy Mildew Plasmopara halstedii
Powdery Mildew Erysiphe cichoracearum
Rust Puccinia helianthi
Sunflower Necrosis Tobacco straek virus
Moasic Sunflower mosaic virus

1. Alternaria leaf spot / Blight: Alternaria helianthi

 Most destructive disease and widely distributed wherever sunflower is grown.
 It occurs on all the varieties in the winter season and it spreads rapidly during the
rainy season.
 Reduces the seed yield by 27 to 80% and oil yield by 17 to 35%.
Symptoms:
 Pathogen causes brown spots mostly on the leaves, but spots may appear on the stem,
sepals and petals.
 These lesions on the leaves are dark brown, with paler margin and yellow halo.
 The spots later enlarge in size with concentric rings and become irregular in shape.
 Rotting of flower heads and affects the quality of seeds by reducing the germination
percentage.
Etiology: Refer early blight of potato
Disease cycle:
 The fungus survives on seed, host debris and weed hosts.
 The secondary spread is mainly through windblown conidia.
Favourable Conditions:

 Rainy weather, cool winter climate and late sown crops are highly susceptible.
Management:
 Grow tolerant variety like BSH-1.
 Remove and destroy infected plant debris.
 Rogue out weeds at periodical intervals.
 Sow the crop early in the season (June sowing).
 Spacing of 60x30cm or 45x30cm reduces disease build up.
 Treat the seeds with Thiram or Carbendazim at 2 g/kg.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

2. Downy Mildew: Plasmopara halstedii

Symptoms:
 White mycelial sporangial sporulation (downy growth) on lower leaf surface.
 Seedling damping off, systemic infection, flower heads of affected plants remain
sterile.
 Chlorosis starts through midribs causing abnormal, thick, down ward curled leaves.
 Infected plants exhibit stunted growth, small heads with chaffy grains.
Disease cycle:
 Primary infection of the crop occurs through soil borne oospores.
 Secondary spread of the disease is through wind borne sporangia and zoospores.
Management:
 Use resistant varieties/Hybrids like LSH-1, LSH-3, KBSH-1, Jwalamukhi
 Follow spacing of 60x30cm or 45x30cm
 Rogue out infected plants and destroy
 Cropping sequence of sunflower followed by groundnut reduces the disease.
 Seed treatment with [email protected]% (Apron 35 SD) followed by foliar spray with
[email protected]% (Ridomyl MZ) .
3. Powdery mildew: Erysiphe cichoracearum
Symptoms:
 White to grey powdery growth appears on upper surface of older leaves but still green
foliage.
 Occasionally powdery growth is also seen on stem and bracts.
 As the plant matures black pin head sized cleistothecia are visible in white mildew
areas.
 The affected leaves curl, chlorotic, dry and defoliate.
Disease cycle:

 The fungus is an obligate parasite and disease perenneates through cleistothecia in the
infected plant debris in soil.
 The ascospores from the cleistothecia cause primary infection.
 The secondary spread is through wind-borne conidia.
Management:
 Remove and destroy infected crop debris.
 Spray wettable [email protected]% or [email protected]%
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

4. Rust: Puccinia helianthi

Symptoms:
 Rust pustules appear first on the lower leaves and later spreads to stems, petioles,
floral bracts and petals.
 Uredia often coalesce to cover large areas on the affected plant parts.
 Leaves may turn yellow and dry.
 The black coloured telia are also seen among uredia on the lower surface.
Disease cycle:

 Autoecious rust, the pathogen survives in the volunteer sunflower plants and in
infected plant debris in the soil as teliospores.
 The disease spreads by wind-borne uredospores.
Favourable conditions:
 Weather parameters like temperatures of 25 to 30 0 C with Relative humidity of 86-
92% favours rust disease severity.
Management:
 Remove and burn the infected plant debris in the field.
 Remove the volunteer sunflower plants.
 Crop rotation for 3 years
 Grow tolerant variety like BSH-1.
 Spray Mancozeb or [email protected]%, 2-3 times at 10 days interval.
5. Sunflower necrosis virus (SND): Tobacco streak virus

Symptoms:
 Mosaic pattern with light and dark green patches and chlorotic ring spots on the
infected young leaves.
 In extreme cases the affected leaves develops marginal necrosis with reduction in leaf
size.
 Infected plants remain stunted and produce small malformed heads without any seeds.
 Late infected plants develop small-distorted ear heads and have few seeds.
Disease cycle:
 Tobacco streak virus belongs to Ilar virus group.
 The virus can be transmitted through mechanical, sap inoculation from sunflower to
other 22 hosts and vice versa.
 The virus is transmitted by Thrips through infected pollen as carrier.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 Weed hosts particularly, Parthenium, Ageratum, Commelina and Achyranthus

harbour the virus.
Management:
 Removal of weeds plants from the field and adjoining areas of crop.
 Rouging of infected plants before flowering helps to destroy the virus source and
spread of the disease.
 Avoid growing of chrysanthemum and marigold close to sunflower.
 Growing of border crop all around sunflower with sorghum or Bajra
 Seed treatment with Imidachlorpid (Gaucho 70WS) @5g/kg followed by 2-3
sprays at 15 days interval starting from 25 days old seedlings to pre-seed setting stage
with Imidachlorpid (Confidor 200SL)@0.05% control the insect vector.
6. Mosaic: Sunflower mosaic Virus
Symptoms:
 In infected plants, leaves show irregular yellow or light green patches alternating with
normal green areas.
 Small, chlorotic circular spots develop on leaves which coalesce to form typical
mosaic pattern.
 Malformation of leaves, poorly developed root system and reduction in pollen fertility
are the other symptoms of the disease.
Disease cycle :
 The virus is transmitted through sap, seed and white flies, Bemisia tabaci.
 The virus can survive in Amaranthus.
Management:
 Rouging of infected plants
 Spray Triazophos 1ml or Monochrotophos 1.5 ml per liter of water.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Safflower and Their Management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent
Wilt Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. carthami
Alternaria blight Alternaria carthami
Rust Puccinia carthami
Leaf spot Cercospora carthami

1. Wilt - Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. carthami

Symptoms:
 Yellowing of leaves on one side of plant starts particularly from lower leaves
followed by wilting the progresses upwards
 Lesion at soil line is first symptom noticed which extends inside and affects the
vascular system
 Plant starts to wilt, drooping more often.
 Infected heads have aborted seed.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus survives in seed, soil and infected plant debris.
 The primary spread is by soil borne as chlamydospores and also by seed
contaminant.
 The secondary spread in the field is through irrigation water and implements.
Management:
 Avoid growing safflower in low lying areas
 Collection and destruction of plant debris.
 Follow crop rotation with sorghum
 Grow wilt resistant / tolerant hybrids DSH 129, NARI-NH-1 and varieties A1,
PBNS- 40 and NARI-6 in endemic areas.
 Seed treatment with T. viride @10g/kg seed Treat the seeds with Thiram or
Captan at 3g/kg or [email protected]%.
2. Alternaria blight (Alternaria carthami)
Symptoms:
 Dark necrotic lesions measuring 2-5 mm in diameter are formed first on hypocotyls
and cotyledones.
 In mature plants, small brown to dark brown concentric spots of 1-2 mm appear on
leaves.
 Symptoms also appear on stem and severely infected plant gets blighted.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 The fungal infection on flower buds leads to drying, shedding and also affect the
seeds.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus is externally seed-borne and also survives in plant debris.
 The disease spread is through wind-born conidia.
Management:
 Collect and destroy infected plant debris.
 Hot water treatment of seed at 500C for 30 minutes.
 Seed treatment with Thiram or Captan at 3g/kg or [email protected]%
 Spray Mancozeb or [email protected]% or [email protected]%.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Mustard and Their Management

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent
White Rust Albugo candida
Leaf blight Alternaria brassicae
Downey mildew Peronospora brassicae
Powdery mildew Erysiphe cichoracearum

1. White rust – Albigo candida

Symptoms:
 Both local and systemic infections are observed.
 In case of local infection, white creamy yellow raised pustules appear on the leaves
which later coalesce to form patches.
 In systemic infection and during humid weather, mixed infection of white rust and
downy mildew cause swelling and distortion of the stem and floral parts due to
hypertrophy and hyperplasia and develop “stag head” structure.
Etiology: Refer previous course notes
Disease cycle:
 The pathogen survives through oospores in affected host tissues and soil.
 Secondary infection is carried out by sporangia and zoospores which produce new
infection.
Favorable conditions:
 Moist (more than 70% relative humidity)
 Temperature : 12-250C
 Intermittent rains favour disease development.
Management:
 Collect and destroy infected plant debris and rotation with non-cruciferous crops
 Early sowing of the crop (in first week of October)
 Seed dressing with Metalaxyl (Apron 35SD)@6g/kg seed followed by a single spray
with Metalaxyl (Ridomyl MZ)@0.2%
 Grow resistant varieties like RC 781, PYSR 8 and PR 10 or tolerant varieties like
Kranthi and Krishna
2. Alternaria blight - Alternaria brassicae and A. brassicola
Symptoms:
 The disease attacks on the lower leaves as small circular brown necrotic spots.
 Many concentric spots coalesce to cover large patches showing blightening.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 These spots/lesions also develop on stems and pods, which are elongated at later
stage.
 In sever infection, defoliation of plants and produce small, discoloured and shriveled
seeds.
Etiology: Refer early blight of potato
Diseases cycle:
 The disease is externally and internally seed born.
 The pathogen survives through spores (conidia) or mycelium in diseased plant or
weed.
Management:
 Removal and destruction of infected plant debris
 Use disease free or treated seed Mancozeb @2.5g/kg seed
 Spray with Mancozeb @0.25% or Iprodione 0.2% at 10 days interval.
3. Downy mildew - Peronospora brassicae
Symptoms:
 Grayish white irregular necrotic patches develop on the lower surface of leaves.
 Later under favorable conditions brownish white fungal growth may also be seen on
the spots.
 The most conspicuous and pronounced symptom is the infection of inflorescence
causing hypertrophy of the peduncle of inflorescence develop stag head structure.
 The affected inflorescence does not produce any siliqua or seed.
Etiology: explained during Downy mildew genera classification
Disease cycle:
 The fungus survives through oospores formed in affected host tissues and on weed
hosts.
 The secondary spread is through wind borne sporangia.
 Temperature in the range of 10-200C and >90% RH favours disease development.
Management:
 Collect and destroy infected plant debris
 Rotation with non-cruciferous crops
 Early sowing of the crop (in first week of October)
 Seed dressing with Metalaxyl (Apron 35SD)@6g/kg seed
 Spray with Metalaxyl (Ridomyl MZ)@0.2%
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

 Grow resistant varieties like RC 781, PYSR 8 and PR 10

4. Powdery mildew: Erysiphe cichoracearum
Symptoms:
 Symptoms appear as dirty white, circular, floury patches on either sides of the leaves.
 Under favourable environmental conditions, entire leaves, stems, floral parts and pods
are affected.
 The whole leaf may be covered with powdery mass.
Disease cycle:
 The fungus over-summers through cleistothecia as ascospores or as mycelium on
volunteer host plants.
 The disease spreads through wind borne conidia.
Management:
5. Collect and destroy infected plant debris.
6. Spray the crop with wettable [email protected]% or [email protected]% or [email protected]%
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Peas

Disease Pathogen/Causal agent

 Powdery mildew  Erysiphe pisi
 Rust Uromvces viciae fabae

1. POWDERY MILDEW OF PEAS:

Symptoms:
 Appears as white powdery patches on leaves, tendrils, pods and stems.
 In advanced stages white floury patches appears on the aerial pails and white powdery
surface becomes patchy yellow to brown and whole foliage gets killed
 Immature pods are more prone to disease and affected pods remain small in size and
shriveled.
Etiology: Erysiphe polygoni (Odium spp).
Mycelium is ectophvtic; conidiophores hyaline, septate; conidia ellipsoid to ovate,
single celled and hyaline. Cleistothecia globose, many asci with hyphae like appendages.
Asci arc ovate, ascospores elliptical, hyaline and 1 -celled.
Disease cycle: Fungus is obligate parasite and survives either through cleistothecia on fallen
infected leaves or in seed as dormant mycelium or in the form of mycelium and conidia on
the host.
Management:
 Early sowing (June month)
 Spraying with fungicides viz., Hexaconazole @ 0.1%
2. RUST OF PEAS:
Symptoms:
 Appear on all the above ground green parts, most numerous on the underside of the
leaves, less abundant on pods and stem.
 Initially minute, raised yellowish circular sori (aecia) on the lower surface of leaves
and later turns light brown powdery appearance (uredia). At maturity, teleuto pustules
develop on the leaves but most commonly on petioles and stems.
Etiology: Uromvces viciae fabae
Fungus is autoecious in nature with all its spore stages on the same host. Pycnia occur
in small groups associated with the aecia. Aecia are cupulate and 0.3 to 0.4 mm in diameter.
Aeciospores are round to angular or elliptical with hyaline wall. Uredospores are round to
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

ovate, light brown, echinulate and measure 20-30 x 18-26 µm Teliospores are subglobose,
ovate or elliptical with rounded or flattened apex and thickened and measure 25-38 x 18-27
um, pedicel is yellowish brown.
Disease cycle: Fungus survives as teliospores in crop debries in soil. It also survives on weed
hosts belonging to Lathyrus, Vicia etc.
Management:
 Removal of weed host
 Spraying with fungicides viz., oxy carboxin (Plantavax) @ 0.1% OR Hexaconazole
@ 0.1%
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Diseases of Coriander

Disease Name Scientific Name

Stem Gall Protomyces macrosporus
Powdery mildew Erysiphe polygoni
Wilt Fusarium Oxysporum f.sp.
Corianderii

1. Stem Gall
Symptoms:
 Stem gall is an important disease of coriander damaging all the aerial plant parts
incurring heavy losses as the market value is reduced. It is observed in all the coriander
growing areas of the country.
 The stem, petiole, pedicels leaves and fruits develop tumour like hyphertrophied
swellings called galls. The galls are soft and appear as if water is filled inside, later they
become hard. The infected fruits are larger in size. The diseased seeds do not
germinate.
Etiology:
 The disease is caused by the fungus Protomyces macrosporus.
 The hyphae grow intercellulary. They are septate.
 The cells swell and develop into chlamydospores. On maturity the
chlamydospores develop thick, three layered wall and function as resting spores.
 They are ellipsoidal or globose, 50-60 m in size.
Disease cycle:
 The disease is seed and soil borne in nature.
 In soil the fungus overwinters in the form of chlamydospores.
 The chlamydospores germinate in the presence of water by rupturing the outer
wall.
Epidemiology:
 Minimum/maximum atmospheric temperature and relative humidity plays an
important role in the initiation and development of this disease.
 While phosphorus fertilizers increased it.
 A pH of 5.5 to 7.5 was most suitable for infection.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Management:
 Seed treatment with thiram 2.5g/kg of seed
 Foliar spray with thiram 0.2 % or Captafol 0.2%
 The disease affects less in the early and late sown crops. Sowing crop around 16
October and 16 November gave minimum yield losses.
 Use of clean and healthy seed and follow suitable crop rotation.
 Use resistant varieties like JD 1, G-5365-91, Pant Haritima, UD 20, Rcr 41,
Pant-1, CIMAP 2053.
 Spray 0.1% carbendazim when symptoms starts appearing and repeat at an
interval of 20 till the disease is completely controlled.
 Use resistant varieties like: Delhi local, NP92, NP95, UD4, UD20
2. Powdery mildew
Symptoms:
 The disease first appears as minute discoloured specks from which a powdery mass
radiates on all sides.
 Large areas on the aerial parts of the host may be covered with white floury patches.
The superficial mass consists of the mycelium and spores of the fungus.
 In advanced stages of attack, infected peduncles dry prematurely and render the
flowers sterile or lead to poor seed setting.
Etiology: Erysiphe polygoni
 It is an obligate parasitic fungus.
 The mycelium is ectophytic in nature
 The conidiophores arise vertically from the superficial hyphae on the host surface.
 Conidia are formed singly or in short chain, ellipsoid or ovate with vacuolated
cytoplasm.
 Sometimes the cleistothecia appear as sharp, black minute bodies scattered in the
mycelial web.
 The cleistothecium is provided with a number of myceloid appendages.
 Usually four to eight asci are formed in each cleistothecium.
Disease cycle:
• PSI : The cleistothecia develop on dead plant debris, these serve as the source of
primary inoculum for the next season.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

• Otherwise the fungus overwinters in conidial stage on different hosts in the area,
which cause primary infection.
• SSI: Wind borne conidia cause secondary infections on other plants.
Epidemiology:
• Powdery mildew of coriander is an important disease of this crop and in favorable dry
weather conditions can cause significant yield reductions.
• Conidial germination is best in between 20-24℃.
• A fairly dry soil and heavy application of nitrogenous fertilizers tend to increase the
incidence of the disease.
Management:
 Collection and destruction of infected plant debris, application of balanced doses of
fertilizers and early planting reduce the overall disease severity.
 Varieties like CIMAP 2053 and CIMAP 2096 showed a high degree of tolerance to
powdery mildew.
 Spray with wettable sulphur 0.2%.
3. Wilt
Symptoms:
• Initial infection occurs on radicles causing brown lesions, rotting of tissues and
finally pre-emergence mortality.
• In post-emergence, underground portion of hypocotyls initially develops lesions,
which slowly coalesced and girdled the region leading to death of the plants.
• The wilt symptoms are initiated by yellowing and curling of lower leaves.
• Gradually these symptoms get extended up to the apical portion, and during this
period lower leaves become dry and plants droop.
• Affected plants generally remain stunted and bear less flowers and fruits.
Etiology: Fusarium Oxysporum f.sp. Corianderii
• The mycelium is abundant, fluffy and cottony white to light pink, both micro- and
macro conidia are produced.
• Later in the season chlamydospores are also produced.
Disease cycle:
PSI: The fungus is soil borne and overwinters in the form of chlamydospores.
SSI: Microconidia and macroconidia are produced which cause secondary infections.
 Prepared by: Dr. Nagaraja, H

Epidemiology:
• Optimum temperature and pH for the disease is 28℃ and 5.8 to 6.9 respectively.
• Infection increased with the increasing soil moisture content.
Management:
 Follow long crop rotations.
 Collect and burn the infected plant debris.
 Addition of oil cakes in the soil and raising of soil pH to 8.2 is also found effective in
reducing the disease incidence.
 Treat the seed with carbendazim (0.2%) followed by sprays with carbendazim (0.1%)
reduce the disease.
 Seed treatment with Trichoderma viride (4g/kg seed) was also found effective in
reducing the disease incidence.
 Coriander varieties like MP 5365 and UD 373 are resistant.