Diseases of Horticultural Crops Tnau 2.8

krishipanth.
com Disease of Horticultural Crops & their Management
DISEASES OF HORTICULTURAL
CROPS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT
Author
Faculty Of TNU
Pages: - 166
1
krishipanth.com Disease of Horticultural Crops & their Management
DISEASES OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS AND THEIR

MANAGEMENT
Theory
• Economic Importance, symptoms, cause,
disease cycle and management of diseases of
• Diseases of citrus
• Diseases of mango
• Diseases of banana
• Diseases of grapevine
• Diseases of pomegranate
• Diseases of papaya
• Diseases of guava
• Diseases of sapota
• Diseases of apple
• Diseases of chilli
• Diseases of brinjal
• Diseases of bhendi
• Diseases of potato
• Diseases of crucifers
• Diseases of cucurbits
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• Diseases of tomato
• Diseases of beans
• Diseases of onion
• Diseases of coconut
• Diseases of oil palm
• Diseases of betelvine
• Diseases of mulberry
• Diseases of coffee
• Diseases of tea
• Diseases of rose
• Diseases of chrysanthemum
• Diseases of jasmine and crossandra
References
1. Diseases of Fruit Crops – Pathak V.N. 1980 Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.
2. Diseases of Tropical and Subtropical Field, Fiber and oil plants – Cook AA 1981 Mac
Millan Publishing Co. New York.
3. Diseases of Crop Plants in India – Rangaswamy G 1988 Prentice Hall of India Pvt.
Ltd. New Delhi.
4. Diseases of Ornamental Plants in India – Sohi H S 1992 ICAR, New Delhi.
5. Diseases of Vegetable crops – Singh R S 1994 Oxford & IBM Publishing Co. Pvt.
Ltd. New Delhi.
6. Plant Diseases – Singh R S 1996 Oxford & IBM Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.
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Lecture 01 - Diseases of Citrus
Gummosis: Phytophthora parasitica, P. palmivora,P. citrophthora

Symptoms
The symptoms appear as yellowing of leaves, followed by cracking of bark and
profuse gumming on the surface. The main source of infection is infected planting
material. As a result of severe gumming, the bark becomes completely rotten and the tree
dries owing to girdling effect. Prior to death, the plant usually blossoms heavily and dies
before the fruits mature. In such cases, the disease is called foot rot or collar-rot.
Pathogen
Aseptate, intercellular & intracellular hypha. Sporangia are ovoid or ellipsoid.
Sporangium attached with the sporangium at the right angles sporangia germinate to
release zoospore.
Favourable conditions
Prolonged contact of trunk with water as in flood irrigation; water logged areas
and heavy soils.
Mode of spread and survival
Soil inhabitants, Sporangia spread by splashing rain water, irrigation water and
wind.
Management
Preventive measures like selection of proper site with adequate drainage, use of
resistant rootstocks and avoiding contact of water with the tree trunk by adopting ring
method of irrigation are effective. Alternatively the disease portions are scraped-out with
a sharp knife and the cut surface is disinfected with Mercuric chloride (0.1%) or
Potassium permanganate solution (1%) using a swab of cotton. Painting 1 m of the stem
above the ground level with Bordeaux helps in controlling the disease. Also spraying and
drenching with Ridomil MZ 72@ 2.75 g/l or Aliette (2.5 g/l) is effective in controlling
the disease.
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Scab/Verucosis : Elsinoe fawcetti

Symptoms
The lesions in early stages appear on
the underside of the leaves as
small semi-translucent dots, which
finally become sharply defined pustular
elevations. In later stages, leaves often
become distorted, wrinkled, stunted and
deformed. On the fruit, lesions consist of
corky projections, which often break into scabs. The opposite surface corresponding to
the warty growth shows a circular depression with a pink to red center.
Pathogen
Ascostroma are simple, innate, intra or sub epidermal, partially erumpent at
maturity, small pulvinate to crustose. Asci are ovoid. Ascospares are 1-3 septate oblong
to elliptical and hyaline to yellowing conidia are produced in acervuli. Conidia are
hyaline, ablong, elliptical with two minute droplets of their ends.
Mode of Spread and Survival
The pathogen survive in off season as ascospores and spreads through Conidia.
Management
The diseased leaves, twigs and fruits should be collected and destroyed. Spraying
of Carbendazim 0.1% is quite effective
Canker : Xanthomonas campestris pv citri
Symptoms
Acid lime, lemon and grapefruit
are affected. Rare on sweet oranges and
mandarins. Affects leaf, twig and fruits. In
canker, leaves are not distorted.Lesions are
typically circular with yellow halo; appear
on both sides of leaf, severe in acid lime
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(difference from scab) When lesions are produced on twigs, they are girdled and die. On
fruits, canker lesions reduce market value.
Pathogen
It is Gram negative, non spore forming, aerobic bacteria. It is rod shaped, forms
chains and capsules and is motile by one polar flagellum.
Free moisture for 20 minutes, 20-30°C.
Mode of survival and spread
Wind and rain splashes. Survives in infected leaves for 6 months. Injury caused by leaf
miner helps the entry of the bacterium.
Disease Cycle
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Management
Streptomycin sulphate 500-1000 ppm; or Phytomycin 2500 ppm or Copper
oxychloride 0.2% at fortnight intervals. Control leaf miner when young flush is produced.
Prune badly infected twigs before the onset of monsoon.
Tristeza or quick decline : Citrus tristeza virus (CTV)
Symptoms
Lime is susceptible both as seedling or buddling on any
root stock. But mandarin and sweet orange seedlings or on
rough lemon, trifoliate orange, citrange; Rangpur lime root
stocks tolerant; susceptible root stocks are grapefruit and sour
orange.
In sweet orange or mandarin on susceptible root stocks,
leaves develop deficiency symptoms and absise. Roots
decay, twigs die back. Fruit set diminishes; only skeleton
remains. Fine pitting of inner face of bark of sour orange stock.
Grapefruit and acid lime are susceptible irrespective of root
stock. Acid lime leaves show large number of vein flecks
(elongated translucent area). Tree stunted and dies yield very
much reduced. Fruits are small in size. Use of infected bud wood and Toxoptera citricida
(aphid) is the important vector.
Pathogen
Citrus tristeza virus is long, flexuous rod and measure 2000x 12nm in size. Three
strains viz., mild, severe and seedling yellow are reported.
Mode of spread
Use of infected bud wood Toxoptera citricida (aphid) is the important vector.
Management
For sweet orange and mandarin, avoid susceptible root stocks. For acid lime, use
seedling preimmunised with mild strain of tristeza.
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Exocortis of scaly butt: Viroid

Symptoms
Affects only Rangpur lime, trifoliate orange and citrange root stocks. Vertical
cracking and scaling of bark in the entire, root stock. Extreme stunting of plant.
Pathogen
Viroid is free RTVA without protein coat.

Transmission normally occurs through infected bud, wood, and contaminated
tools. Not through vector and seed.
Management
Spray with any one of the systemic insecticide to control the aphid vector. Use
virus-free certified bud wood; use tolerant stocks like rough lemon Periodically wash
budding knife with disodium Phosphate solution.
Greening: Liberobactor asiaticum (Phloem limited bacteria)
Symptoms
This disease affects almost all citrus varieties irrespective
of root stock. Stunting of leaf, sparse foliation, twig die back,
poor crop of predominantly greened, worthless fruits.
Sometimes only a portion of tree is affected.A diversity of
foliar chlorosis. A type of mottling resembling zinc
deficiency often predominates. Young leaves appear normal
but soon assume on outright position, become leathery and develop prominant veins and
dull olive green colour.
Green circular dots on leaves. Many twigs become upright and produce smaller
leaves. Fruits small, lopsided with curved columella. The side exposed to direct sunlight
develops full orange colour but the other side remain dull olive green. Low in juice and
soluble solids, high in acid. Worthless either as fresh fruit or for processing. Seeds poorly
developed, dark coloured, aborted.
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Pathogen
Rickettsia like organisam
Mode of spread
Infected budwood; psyllid vector-Diaphorina citri
Management
Control psyllids with insecticides. Use pathogen free bud wood for propagation. 500 ppm
tetracycline spray, requires fortnightly application.
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Lecture 02 - Diseases of Mango (2 Lectures)

Anthracnose: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Symptoms:
The disease appears on young
leaves, stem, inflorescence and fruits.
Leaves show oval or irregular, greyish-
brown spots which may coalesce to cover
larger area of the leaf. The affected leaf
tissues dry and shred. Leaves on infected
petioles droop and fall. On young stem,
grey-brown spots develop. These enlarge
and cause girdling and drying of the affected area. The disease appears on young leaves,
stem, inflorescence and fruits.
Often, black necrotic areas develop on the twigs from the tip downwards causing
a dieback. In humid weather, minute, black dots develop on the floral organs. The
infected flower-parts ultimately shed resulting in partial or complete deblossoming.
Latent infections of fruit are established before harvest. The ripening fruits show typical
anthracnose. Black spots appearing on skin of the affected fruits gradually become
sunken and coalesce.
Pathogen
Mycelium septate and coloured. Conidia Single celled, hyaline, small and
elongated.
On dried leaves, defoliated branches mummified flowers and flower brackets. Contact
with diseased fruit during transport and storage. The secondary spread is through airborne
conidia.
Temperature of 25°C and Relative Humidity 95-97%
Disease cycle
The survival of pathogen in detached diseased twigs and leaves lying on surface
of soil and in diseased twigs attached to the tree. They successfully reproduced the
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disease by inoculating leaves, petioles, stems and fruits. The optimum temperature for
infection was found to be 25˚C. The disease spreads rapidly in the rainy season. Cloudy
and misty weather during flowering favors damage to the infected floral parts.
The pathogen causes severe leaf spotting. The appearance of spots in more
concentration at the stem-end and sometimes in stripes down the sides of the fruits
suggested distribution of spores by rain water over surface of the fruit. The fungus can
enter the pores of green fruits. The latent infection of mature fruits may take place
through lenticels. The fungus apparently infects the fruit while it is green and develops in
flesh during ripening.
Management
Spray P. fluorescens (FP 7) at 3 weeks interval commencing from October at
5g/like on flower branches. 5-7 sprays one to be given on flowers and bunches. Before
storage, treat with hot water, (50-55°C) for 15 minutes or dip in Benomyl solution
(500ppm) or Thiobendazole (1000ppm) for 5 minutes
Powdery mildew: Oidium mangiferae (Acrosporum mangiferae)
Symptoms
Powdery mildew is one of the most
serious diseases of mango affecting almost all the
varieties. The characteristic symptom of the
disease is the white superficial powdery fungal
growth on leaves, stalk of panicles, flowers and
young fruits. The affected flowers and fruits drop
pre-maturely reducing the crop load considerably
or might even prevent the fruit set. Rains or mists accompanied by cooler nights during
flowering are congenial for the disease spread.
Pathogen
Mycelium is ectophytic. Conidiophores short, hyaline and conidia single celled -
barrel shaped, produced in chain. Fungus is odium type.
Survives as dormant mycelium in affected leaves. Secondary spread by air borne
conidia.
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Disease Cycle
Spores blown wind from infected areas readily adhere to hairy, unopened flowers
near tip of the inflorescence and germinate in five to seven hours. Fungus grows rapidly
during cloudy weather accompanied with heavy morning mist. Warm, humid weather
and low night temperatures favour dissemination of the pathogen. Overall disease
development is favoured by high humidity.
Management
Dusting the plants with fine sulphur (250-300 mesh) at the rate of 0.5 kg/tree. The
first application may be soon after flowering, second 15 days later (or) spray with
Wettable sulphur (0.2%), (or) Carbendazim (0.1%),(or) Tridemorph ( 0.1%),(or)
Karathane (0.1%).
Mango malformation : Fusarium moliliforme var. subglutinans
Symptoms
Three types of symptoms: bunchy top
phase, floral malformation and vegetative
malformation. In bunchy top phase in nursery
bunching of thickened small shoots, bearing
small rudimentally leaves. Shoots remain short
and stunted giving a bunchy top appearance. In
vegetative malformation, excessive vegetative
branches of limited growth in seedlings. They are swollen with short internodes forming
bunches of various size and the top of the seedlings shows bunchy top appearance. In
malformation of inflorescens, shows variation in the panicle. Malformed head dries up
in black mass and persist for long time. Secondary branches are transformed into number
of small leaves giving a witches broome appearance.
Pathogen
Micro conidia are one or 2 celled, oval to fusiform and produced from
polyphialides. Macro conidia are rarely produced. They are 2 -3 celled and falcate.
Chlamydospores are not produced.
Mode of spread
Diseased propagatives materials.
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Disease Cycle
Management
Diseased plants should be destroyed .Use of disease free planting material.
Incidence reduced by spraying 100-200ppm NAA during October. Pruning of diseased
parts along the basal 15-20 cm apparently healthy portions. This is followed by the
spraying of Carbendazim (0.1%) or Captafol (0.2%).
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Stem end rot: Diplodia natalensis

Symptoms
The dark epicarp 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. Dead twigs and bark of the trees, spread
by rains
Pathogen
The fungus produces brown to black, globose to sub globose, pyriform, erumpent
pycnidia that are ostiolate. They are 120-155x370-465 micron meter. Two types of
conidia are produced within a pycnidium. One is hyaline, thin walled and unicellular.Tha
another one is thick walled and bicelled with four to six longitudinal striations.
The fungus persists in infected plant parts which serve as source of inoculum.
Management
Prune and destroy infected twigs and spray Carbendazim or Thiophanate
Methyl(0.1%) or Chlorathalonil (0.2%) as fortnightly interval during rainy season.
Red-rust: Cephaleuros virescens
Symptoms
Algae attacks foliage and young twigs. Rusty spots appear
on leaves, initially as circular, slightly elevated, coalesce to form
irregular spots. The spores mature fall off and leave cream to white
valvet texture on the surface of the leaves.
Pathogen
Cephaleuros virescens after a period of vegetative growth develops its
reproductive structures.Sporangia formed directly on the thallus are sessile and thick
walled with orange pigments. hey are formed singly on the vegetative filaments. When
the sporangia are riped the con tents are converted into Zoospores and liberated through
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an opening in the wall. The Zoospores are orange in colour, ovoid and swim actively by
means of cilia.
Management
Bordeaux mixture (0.6%) or Copper oxychloride 0.25%
Grey Blight : Pestalotia mangiferae
Symptoms
Brown spots develop on the
margin and at the tip of the leaf lamina.
They increase in size and become dark
brown. Black dots appear on the spots
which are acervuli of the fungus. Survive
on mango leaves for over a year. Spreads through wind borne conidia. Heavy infection is
noticed during the monsoon when the temperature is 20-25˚C and high humidity.
Pathogen
Acervuli seen as minute black dots on affected portion. Mycelium is colored and
septate. Conidia five celled middle three cells are colored and the end cells are hyaline
Slender 3-5 appendages are produced at the apex of the spore.
Survive on mango leaves for over a year. Spreads through wind borne conidia.
Heavy infection is noticed during the monsoon when the temperature is 20-25˚C
and high humidity.
Management
Remove and destroy infected plant parts. Spraying copper oxychloride 0.25
Mancozeb 0.25% or Bordeaux mixture 1.0%.
Sooty mould : Capnodium mangiferae
Symptoms
The fungi produce mycelium which is
superficial and dark. They row on sugary secretions of
the plant hoppers. Black encrustation is formed which
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affect the photosynthetic activity. The fungus grows on the leaf surface on the sugary
substances secreted by jassids, aphids and scale insects.
The fungus grows on the leaf surface on the sugary substances secreted by
Jassids,Aphids and scale insects.
Management
Management should be done for insects and sooty moulds simultaneously.
Controlling of insect by spraying systemic insecticides like Monocrotophos or methyl
dematon .After that spray starch solution (1kg Starch/Maida in 5 litres of water. Boiled
and dilute to 20 liters) .Starch dries and forms flake which are removed along with the
fungus.
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Lecture 03 - Diseases of Banana (2 Lectures)
Panama disease :Fusarium oxysporum f. spcubense

Economic Importance
The first major disease which attacked banana was called Panama disease from
the area where it first became serious. Banana wilt is a soil-borne fungal disease and gets
entry in the plant body through roots and wounds caused by nematodes. It is most serious
in poorly drained soil. Disease spreads through infected suckers.
Symptoms
Yellowing of the lower most leaves starting from margin to
midrib of the leaves. Yellowing extends upwards and finally heart
leaf alone remains green for some time and it is also affected. The
leaves break near the base and hang down around pseudostem.
Longitudinal splitting of pseudostem. Discolouration of vascular
vessels as red or brown streaks. The fungus spreads through use of
infected rhizomes Continuous cultivation results in build up of inoculum.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate, hyaline and branched. Fungus produces micro, macro
conidia and also chlamydospores. Micro conidia - Single celled or rarely one septate
hyaline elliptical or oval. Macro conidia - Sickle shaped hyaline, 3-5 septate and tapering
at both ends. Chalamydospores - Thick walled, spherical to oval, hyaline to slightly
yellowish in colour.
The pathogen is soil borne. It survives in soil as chlamydospores for longer
periods. The primary spread of the disease is through infected rhizomes and secondary
spread is through irrigation water. Continuous cultivation results in build up of inoculum.
Management
Avoid growing of susceptible cultivars viz., Rasthali, Monthan, Red banana and
Virupakshi. Grow resistant cultivar Poovan. Since nematode predispose the disease
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pairing and prolinage wit Carbofuran granules. Corm injection of 3 ml of 2%

Carbendezim injected in the corm by making a hole to a depth of 10cm with 45 0 angle
on 5 th and 7 th month as mentioned earlier.
Moko disease : Pseudomonas solanacearum / Burkholderia solanacearum
Symptoms
Leaves become yellow and progress upwards. The petiole
breaks and leaves hang. When it is cut open discolouration in
vascular region with pale yellow to dark brown colour. The
discolouration is in the central portion of the corm. Internal rot of
fruits with dark brown discoloration. When the pseudostem is cut
transversely bacterial ooze can be seen.
Pathogen
It is rod shaped, gram negative bacterium with one polar flagellum.
The pathogen is soil borne, it survives in susceptible hosts like banana and
Heliconia spp.
Management
Eradicate infected plant. Expose soil to direct sunlight. Use of clean planting
material. Fallowing and crop rotation is advisable.Disinfection of pruning of tools.
Providing good drainage.
Tip over or Heart rot: Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora
Symptoms
The base of the pseudostem and upper portion of the
corm are affected and leads to rotting. Young 1-3 month old
plantation susceptible during summer months.
Management
Plant disease free suckers. Remove infected plants and
destroy. Drench with Methoxy ethyl mercuric chloride
(Emisan-6) 0.1 / or Sodium hypohlorite 10% or Bleaching
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powder 20g /litre/tree.

Sigatoka disease : Mycosphaerella musicola (Cercospora musae)
Symptoms
On leaves small light yellow or brownish green narrow streaks appear. They
enlarge in size becomes linear, oblong, brown to black spots with dark brown brand and
yellow halo. Black specks of fungal fruitification appear in the affected leaves. Rapid
drying and defoliation of the leaves.
Pathogen
Conidia are elongated, narrow and multi septate and measure 20 – 80 x 2-6micron
meter. Perithecia are dark brown to black and asci are oblong, clavate and measure 28.8-
36.8x8.0-10.8 micron meter. Ascospores are one septate, hyaline, obtuse with upper cell
slightly broader.
Disease Cycle
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Management
Removal and destruction of the affected leaves. Spray Propiconazole +
Carbendazim 0.1% or Chlorothalonil 0.25%. Add wetting agent such as teepol or
sandovit added at the rate of 1ml/lit of water.
Cigar end Rot (Verticillium theobromae, Trachsphaera fructigena and Gloeosporium
musarum)
Symptoms
A black necrosis spread from the perianth into the
tip of immature fingers. The rotted portion of the banana
finger is dry and tends to adhere to fruits (appears similar
to the ash of a cigar).
Pathogen
Conidiophores are usually solitary or in small groups. Conidia are hyaline, oblong
to cylindrical. They are borne at the end of tapering phialides, aggregated into rounded,
mucilaginous translucent heads.
Control:
Removal of pistil and perianth by hand 8-10 days after bunch formation and
spraying the bunch with Dithane M -45 (0.1%) or Topsin M (0.1%) controls the disease
effectively. Minimising bruising; prompt cooling to 14°C; proper sanitation of handling
facilities reduce the incidence in the cold storage.
Anthracnose: Gloeosporium gloeosporioides
Symptoms:
The skin at the distal ends of the fingers turn
black shrivels. The fungus produces masses of
conidia which form a pinkish coat. The entire fruit
and bunch is affected in severe cases. Sometimes
main stalk of bunch diseased. The bunch becomes
black and rotten. Acervuli produces cylindrical
conidiophores, hyaline, septate, branched. Conidia hyaline, non-septate, oval to elliptical.
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Pathogen
Acervuli are usually rounded or sometimes elongated, erumpent. Conidiophores
are cylindrical, tapered towards the apex, hyaline and septate. Conidia are hyaline,
aseptate, oval to ellipitical in shape.
The spread of the disease is by air borne conidia and numerous insects which
frequently visit banana flowers also spread the disease.
Management
Post harvest dipping of fruits in Carbendazim 400 ppm, or Benomyl 1000 ppm, or
Aureofunginsol 100 ppm.
Freckle or Black Spot: Phyllostictina musarum

Symptoms
Minute raised dark brown spots appear with
black dots in the centre on leaves and fruits. On the
fruits the pathogen is confined to the skin. The
fungus produces pycnidium which are dark.
conidiophores simple, short, elongate. Conidia are
byline, single celled ovoid. Fungus survives in
infected plant debris. Conidia spread by rain water
and wind.
Pathogen
The fungus produces pycnidia and pycnidiospores. Pycnidiospores are needle
shape, hyaline and multi septate.
Management
Spray Copper oxychloride 0.25%. Add wetting agent such as teepol or sandovit
added at the rate of 1ml/lit of water.
Banana bunchy top: Banana bunchy top virus
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Economic Importance
The disease is covered by domestic quarantine regulations. Losses were estimated
to be Rs.4 crores every year and 100% loss occurs if infected suckers are planted.
Symptoms
Subsequent leaving show the same symptoms and are
dwarfed. Dark broken bands of green tissues on the veins,
leaves and petioles. Plants are extremely stunted. Leaves are
reduced in size marginal chlorosis and curling. Leaves upright
and become brittle. Many leaves are crowded at the top.
Branches size will very small. If infected earlier no bunch
will be produced. The disease is transmitted primarily by
infected suckers.
Mode of spread
Secondary spread is through the aphid vector Pentalonia nigronervosa
Management
Select suckers from disease free areas. Control vector by spraying methyl
demoton 1 ml/l.or Monocrotophos, 2 ml/l.or Phosphomidon 1 ml / lit. or Injection of
Monocrotophos 1 ml / plant (1 ml diluted in 4 ml). Infected plants are destroyed using
4ml of 2, 4, D (50g in 400 ml of water).
Infectious chlorosis: Cucumber mosaic virus
Economic Importance
Infectious chlorosis or heart rot of banana is caused by Cucumber Mosaic Virus
(CMV) has recently become serious, the disease has been recorded from 20 to 80 per cent
in Poovan cultivar.
Symptoms
Chlorotic or yellow linear discontinuous streaks on
leaves, upward curling of leaves, twisting and bunching of
leaves at the crown, erectness of newly emerged leaves.
Sometimes heart rot symptom also appear. Diseased plants
are dwarf, do not produce bunches. The virus spreads
through infected suckers and aphid vectors -Aphis gossypii
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Management
Destroy infected plants. Use disease free suckers. Control vector by spraying
systemic insecticide 0.1%
23
Lecture 04 - Diseases of Grapes

Downy mildew: Plasmopara viticola
Symptoms
Irregular, yellowish, translucent sports on
the upper surface of the leaves. Correspondingly on
the lower surface, white, powdery growth on
leaves. Affected leaves become, yellow, brown and
gets dried. Premature defoliation. Dwarfing of
tender shoots. Brown, sunken lesions on the stem.
White growth of fungus on berries which
subsequently becomes leathery and shrivels. Later
infection of berries result in soft rot symptoms. No
cracking of the skin of the berries.
Pathogen
Mycelium is intercellular with spherical haustoria, coenocytic, thin walled and
hyaline. Sporangiophores arise from hyphae in the sub stomatal spaces. It branched at
right angle to the main axis and at regular intervals. Secondary branches arise from lower
branches.The sporangia are thin walled, oval or lemon shaped. The Zoospores are pear
shaped, biflagellate and 7 – 9 micron meter. The oospores are thick walled.
Through sporangia by wind, rain etc. As oospores present in the infected leaves, shoots
and berries. Also as dormant mycelium in infected twigs. Optimum temperature: 20-
22°C. Relative humidity: 80-100 per cent.
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Disease Cycle
Management
Spray Bordeaux mixture 1 % or Metalaxyl + Mancozeb 0.4 %.
Powdery mildew : Uncinula necator
Symptoms
Powdery growth mostly on the upper surface of
the leaves.Malformation and discolouration of affected
leaves. Discolouration of stem to dark brown. Floral
infection results in shedding of flowers and poor fruit
set. Early berry infection results in shedding of affected
berries. Powdery growth is visible on older berries and the infection results in the
Cracking of skin of the berries.
Pathogen
White growth consists of mycelium, conidiophores and conidia. Mycelium is
external, septate and hyaline. Conidiophores are short and arise from external mycelium.
Conidia are produced in chain. They are single celled, hyaline and barrel shaped. The
fungus is oidium type.
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It spread through air-borne conidia. Through dormont mycelium and conidia
present in the infected shoots and buds. Sultry warm conditions with dull cloudy weather,
highly favourable.
Disease Cycle
Management
Spray Inorganic sulphur 0.25 % or Chinomethionate 0.1 % or Dinocap 0.05 %.
Bird’s Eye Spot/Anthracnose: Gloeosporium ampelophagum (Elsinoe amphelina)
Symptoms
The disease appears first as dark red spots on
the berry. Later, these spots are circular, sunken,
ashy-gray and in late stages these spots are
surrounded by a dark margin which gives it the
“bird’s-eye rot” appearance. The spots vary in size
from 1/4 inch in diameter to about half the fruit. The fungus also attacks shoots, tendrils,
petioles, leaf veins, and fruit stems. Numerous spots sometimes occur on the young
shoots. These spots may unite and girdle the stem, causing death of the tips. Spots on
petioles and leaves cause them to curl or become distorted.
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Pathogen
Mycelium is septate and dark colored. Conidia single celled oval and hyaline.
Seed-borne-infected vine, cuttings and air-borne conidia. As dormant mycelium
in the infected stem-cankers. Warm wet weather. Low lying and badly drained soils.
Disease Cycle
Management
Removal of infected twigs.Copper oxychloride 0.2% or Mancozeb 0.25%
27
Lecture 05 - Diseases of Pomegranate and Papaya
Pomegranate
Cercospora fruit Spot: Cercospora sp.
Symptom
The affected fruits showed small irregular
black spots, which later on coalesce, into big
spots.
Management
The diseased fruits should be collected
and destroyed. Two to three spray at 15 days interval with Mancozeb 0.25%.
Leaf Spot or Blight: Colletotrichum gloesporioides; Pseudocercospora punicae;
Curvularia lunata and Cercospora punicae)
Symptom
The disease is characterized by appearance of small, irregular and water-soaked
spots on leaves.Affected leaves fall off.
Pathogen
Conidiophores are olivaceous brown, short, fasciculate, sparingly septate. Conidia
are hyaline to pale olivalceous cylindric and septate.
The pathogen spread through wind borne conidia.
Management
Spraying Mancozeb 0.25 % at 15 days interval gives good control of the disease.
Alternaria fruit spot: Alternaria alternata
Symptom
Small reddish brown circular spots appear
on the fruits. As the disease advances these spots,
coalesce to form larger patches and the fruits start
rotting. The arils get affected which become pale
and become unfit for consumption.
28
Management
All the affected fruits should be collected and destroyed. Spraying Mancozeb 0.25
% effectively controls the disease.
Fruit Rot (Aspergillus foetidus):
The symptoms are in the form of round black
spots on the fruit and petiole. The disease starts from
calyx end and gradually the entire fruit shows black
spots. The fruit further rots emitting a foul odour.
Management
The disease can be controlled by spraying of
Bavistin (0.5%), Dithane M-45 (0.25%) or Dithane Z-
78 (0.25%) at an interval of 10-15 days from the onset of flowering.
Papaya
Stem rot / Foot rot – Pythium aphanidermatum
Symptoms
Water soaked spot in the stem at the ground
level which enlarge and griddle the stem. The diseased
area turns brown or black and rot. Terminal leaves turn
yellow droop off. The entire plant topples over and
dies. Forward by rain. R. solani is favoured by dry and
hit weather. Common in 2-3 year old trees.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate, brown and much branched. The sclerotia are black, spherical
to irregular shape and produced in abundance.
Management
Seed treatment with Thiram or Captan 4 g/kg or Chlorothalonil.
Drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.25 % or Bordeaux mixture 1% or Metalaxyl 0.1%.
29
Powdery mildew – Oidium caricae

Symptoms
While mycelia growth appear on the upper
surface of the leaf, flower stalks and fruit. Seven attak
causes yellowing and defiation of leaves.
Pathogen
It is an obligate parasite. The mycelium is hyaline, septate and haustoria develop
in epidermal cells. Conidia are hyaline.
The pathogen spread through wind borne conidia.
Management
Spray Wettable Sulphur 0.25% or Dinocap 0.05% or Chinomethionate 0.1% or
Tridemorph 0.1%.
Papaya ring spot – Papaya ring spot virus
Symptoms
Vein clearing, puckering and chlorophyll leaf
tissues lobbing in. Margin and distal parts of leaves roll
downward and inwards, mosaic mottling, dark green
blisters, leaf distortion which result in shoe string
system and stunting of plants. On fruits circular concentric rings are produced. If
affected earlier no fruit formation.
Pathogen
The virus particles are rod shaped and thermal inactivation point of the virus lies
between 54 and 60˚C.
Mode of spread
Vectored by aphids Aphis gossypii, A. craccivora and also spreads to cucurbits
not through seeds.
30
Management
Raise papaya seedlings under insect-proof conditions. Plant disease free seedlings.
Raise sorghum / maize as barrier crop before planting papaya. Rogue out affected plants
immediately on noticing symptoms. Do not raise cucurbits around the field.
Leaf curl – Papaya leaf curl virus
Symptoms
Curling, crinkling and distortion of leaves,
reduction of leaf lamina, rolling of leaf margins inward
and downward, thickening of veins. Leaves become
leathery, brittle and distorted. Plants stunted. Affected
plants does not produce flowers and fruits.
Mode of spread
Spread by whitefly Bemisia tabaci.
Management
Uproot affected plants. Avoid growing tomato, tobacco near papaya. Spraying
with systemic insecticides to control the vector.
Anthracnose – Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Symptom
If affect leaf and stem on erotic spots
are produced. On fruit initially brown
superficial discoloration of the skin
develops which are circular and slightly
sunken. Then they coalesce in which sparse
mycelial growth appear on the margins of a
spot. Under humid condition salmon pink
spores are released. Fruits mummified and deformed.
Mode of spread
Infection is caused by fruit from field. Secondary spread by conidia by rain
splashes
Management
Spray with Carbendazim 0.1% (or) Chlorothalonil 0.2% or Mancozeb 0.2%.
31
Lecture 06 - Disease of Guava and Sapota

Guava
Anthracnose: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Symptoms
Symptoms of this disease are observed on mature
fruits on the tree. The characteristic symptoms consist of
sunken, dark colored, necrotic lesions. Under humid
conditions, the necrotic lesions become covered with pinkish
spore masses. As the disease progresses, the small sunken
lesions coalesce to form large necrotic patches affecting the
flesh of the fruit.
Pathogen
Conidia are hyaline, aseptate, oval to elliptical condiophore is cylindrical.
Acervulli are dark brown to black.
The conidia are spread by wind or rain.
Management
Spray Mancozeb 0.25%.
Guava rust: Puccinia psidii
Symptoms
The pathogen can affect foliage, young shoots,
inflorescences and fruit of guava. Typical symptoms associated
with this disease include distortion, defoliation, reduced
growth and if severe, mortality. On fully expanded leaves, dark
bordered, roughly circular brown lesions with yellow halos
develop.
Management
Control of guava rust is based on the use of fungicides. Scouting fields for onset
of disease or during the times of year when environmental conditions are favorable for
pathogen infection are recommended so that proper and timely fungicide applications can
32
be made. In addition, proper cultural tactics such as proper fertilization, irrigation,

pruning and sanitation aide in achieving a healthy, vigorously growing tree less
vulnerable to disease pressures.
Algal leaf spot: Cephaleuros virescens
Symptoms
Disease symptoms are exhibited on
both abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces as
orange, rust-colored, dense silky tufts
ranging from 5 to 8 mm in diameter. Upon
scraping away these spots, a thin, grayish
white to dark-colored, necrotic crust remains
on the leaf. These spots usually come
together to form large irregular patches on a leaf. As the spots mature they take on a dull,
grayish green color. Twigs and branches are also affected causing the bark to crack due to
the growth and expansion of the pathogens filaments into the cortical tissues of the host.
The zoospores cause the initial infection. High moist condition favors the
development of fruiting bodies of the alga.
Management
Algal leaf spot can be reduced by maintaining tree vigor with cultural techniques
such as proper fertilization and irrigation, proper pruning to enhance air circulation
within the canopy and sunlight penetration, managing weeds and wider tree spacing.
Managing insect, mite and other foliar diseases increases tree vigor and lessens
susceptibility to this disease. Spray Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
Sapota
Leaf spot: Phaeoleospora indica
Epidemiology
The disease is more severe during Oct, Dec. when
the humidity is high. The fungus grows best at 25˚C and
90% relative humidity.
33
Symptom
The disease is characterized by numerous, small, pinkish to reddish brown spots
with whitish centers in the leaf.
Mode of Spread
The pathogen spreads through wind – borne conidia.
Management
Spray Mancozeb @ 0.25% or Copper oxychloride 0.2% to control the disease
Sooty mould: Capnodium sp.
Symptom
It is a fungal disease developed on
honeydew-like excretion secreted by aphids and
scale insects. The fungus slowly covers the entire
leaf area severely affecting the process of
photosynthesis. This results in reduced
translocation of food to the fruits, which leads to
reduction in their size.
Pathogen
The mycelium is septate, dark colored and superficial. The fungus is associated
with the infestation of scales and mealy bugs.
Management
Spray starch solution 5% to remove the fungal growth. Control insects by
spraying systemic insecticides.
34
Lecture 07 - Disease of Apple (2 Lectures)
Scab –Venturia inaequalis

Symptoms
Symptom appears on leaves and
fruits. On lower side of the leaf lesion
appear as olivaceous spots which turn
dark brown to black and become velvety.
On young foliage, the spots have a
radiating appearance with a feathery edge.
On older leaves the lesions are more
definite in outline. The lesion may form a
convex surface with corresponding concave area on the opposite side. In severe infection
leaf blade curved, dwarfed and distorted. Fruits show small, rough, black circular lesions.
The centre of the spots become corky and on mature fruits, yellow halo is seen around the
lesions.
Pathogen
The mycelium is internal. Ascospores are two celled, greenish, grey or yellowish
in color.
Pseudothecia formed in autumn and winter mature in spring to produce
ascospores, the chief inoculum for primary infection. The secondary spread is through
conidia.
Disease cycle
This disease, caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis (anamorph Spilocaea
pomi), may be quite severe when rainy, cool weather occurs in the spring. Fungal spores
are produced in early spring on dead, fallen apple leaves about the time buds begin to
develop. These spores are splashed by rain and blown by wind to land on developing
plant tissue and initiate infections. After spots appear on the newly formed leaves, more
spores are produced that spread infection to other parts of the tree. Again, rainy weather
35
greatly encourages spore spread and infection during the secondary phase of spore
production. The fungus over winters on fallen leaves.
36
Clean cultivation, collection and destruction of fallen leaves and pruned materials
in winter to prevent the sexual cycle. Spray Tridemorph 0.1% before flowering. Spray
Mancozeb 0.25 % at bearing stage. Spray 5 % urea prior to leaf fall in autumn and 2 %
before bud break to hasten the decomposition of leaves.
S.No Tree stage Fungicide/100lit
1 Silver tip to given tip Captafol 200 gm (or) Captan 300 g or Mancozeb 400
g
2 Pink bud or 15 days after 1 st Captan 250 g or Mancozeb 300 g
spray
3 Petal fall Carbendazim 50 g
4 10 days later Captan 200 g.or Mancozeb 300g
5 14 days after fruit set Captofol 150 g
Add stickers – teepol or triton 6 ml/10 lit of spray fluid.
Powdery mildew – Podosphaera leucotricha.
Symptom
Powdery mildew may be found on
buds, blossoms, leaves, twigs, and fruit. In
spring, infected flower buds open 5-8 days
later than healthy buds. The buds are killed
or distorted. Symptoms first appear in the
spring on the lower surface of leaves,
usually at the ends of branches. Small, whitish felt-like patches of fungal growth appear
and quickly cover the entire leaf. Diseased leaves become
narrow, crinkled, stunted and brittle, which results in their
drying out and fall. The fungus spreads rapidly to twigs, which
stop growing and become stunted. In some cases the twigs may
be killed back. Leaves and blossoms from infected buds will be
diseased when they open the next spring. Infected blossoms
37
shrivel and produce no fruit. Fruit symptoms are not usually seen unless the disease has
built up to high levels on susceptible cultivars. The fruit surface may become russetted or
discolored, and dwarfed. Heavily mildewed trees are weakened, and are more susceptible
to other pests and winter injury. It is the only fungal apple disease that is capable of
infecting without wetting from rain or dew. In nurseries the fungus may spread to all
developing leaves and cause stunting of vegetative terminal growth.
Pathogen
Powdery mildew is caused by, Podosphaera leucotricha, an ascomycetous
heterothallic fungus. Conidia are ellipsoidal, truncate and hyaline. Perithecia are
subglobose, are densely gregarious, and rarely scattered, and have apical and basal
appendages. The asci in the perithecia are oblong to subglobose. Eight ascospores are
present in the ascus. The fungus over winters as fungal strands (mycelium) in vegetative
or fruit buds which were infected the previous season.
The fungus overwinters in the form of mycelium in diseased vegetative buds and
fruits. Secondary spread is through wind borne conidia.
Disease Cycle
The mildew fungus over winters mainly as mycelium in dormant blossom and
shoot buds produced and infected the previous growing season. Conidia are produced and
released from the unfolding leaves as they emerge from infected buds at about tight
cluster stage. Conidia germinate in the high relative humidity usually available on the leaf
surface at 10-25˚C with an optimum of 19-22˚C. Germination does not occur in free
moisture. Early-season mildew development is affected more by temperature than by
relative humidity. Abundant sporulation from over wintering shoots and secondary
lesions on young foliage leads to a rapid buildup of inoculum. Secondary infection cycles
may continue until susceptible tissue is no longer available. Since leaves are most
susceptible soon after emergence, infection of new leaves may occur as long as shoot
growth continues. Fruit infection occurs from pink to bloom. Over wintering buds are
infected soon after bud initiation. Heavily infected shoots and buds are low in vigor and
lack winter hardiness, resulting in a reduction of primary inoculum at temperatures below
-24˚C.
38
Management:
Spray Dinocap 0.05% or Chinomethionate 0.1%
Fire blight- Erwinia amylovora

Symptom
The initial symptom usually occurs on
leaves, which become water soaked,
then shrivel turn brownish to black in
colour and fall or remain hanging in
tree. The symptom spread to twigs.
Terminal twigs wilt from tip to
downward and also spread to
39
branches.Fruits becomes water soaked, turns brown, shrivels and finally becomes black.
Oozing may be seen in the affected area.
Pathogen
The bacterium is rod shaped and motile by peritrichous flagella. Bacterium occurs
usually singly but pairs or chais of 3 of 4 bacteria also exist. Each bacterial cell is
enclosed in a capsule.
The bacterium overwinters at the margin of cankers formed during previous
season. They survive most often in large branches and seldom in twigs less than 1 cm in
dia. Flies, Wasps and honey bees and rain splashes spread the bacteria into freshly
wounded tissues inside the leaf. Young tender twigs are infected by bacteria through their
lenticels, through wounds made by various agents and through insects carrying bacteria
and feeding on the twigs.
Disease Cycle
40
Management
Removal and destruction of affected parts. Removal of blighted twigs. Spray with
Streptomycin 500 ppm.
Soft rot – Penicillium expansum
Symptom
Young spots starts from
stem end of the fruit as light brown
watery rot. As the fruit ripens area
of the rotting increases, skin
becomes wrinkled. A peculiar
musty odour is emitted under
humid condition a bluish green
sporulating growth appears.
Infection take place by wounds in the skin caused by insects and during handing in
storage and transport.
Pathogen
Conidiophores give rise to 1-3 main branches. They in turn produce crowdwd
whorls of branchlets. Conidia are formed in chains. Conidia are green or bluish green in
mass.
The fungal spores are spread by air. Mycelium can infect through bruisedor
wounded fruits in close contact. Infection of the fruit usually take place through wounds
in the skin, such as wounds caused by insect bites, careless picking, rough handling
during washing, grading , packing, transit and storage. Infection is also through lenticels.
Disease cycle
Spores of the soft rot fungus are present almost everywhere and can survive long
periods of unfavorable conditions. Bulk bins, field crates, pack house lines, and storage
rooms are usually contaminated. Injuries to fruit, especially during picking and handling
operations, are the primary points of entry. At ordinary temperatures, infected fruit can
rot in 2 weeks or less.
41
Management
Careful handling of fruits without causing any wounds. Dipping the fruits
aureofunginsol @ 500 ppm for 20 min gives best control.
Bitter rot – Glomerella cingulata
Symptom
Faint, light brown discolouration
beneath the skin develops. The discolouration
expands in a cone shape. The circular, rough
lesions become depressed. The lesions
increased and covers entire areas of fruits.
Diny black dots appear beneath the cuticle
which gives rise to acervuli . Pink masses of spores are found arranged in defined rings.
Di s ease Cycl e
The fun gus over wi nt ers i n m um m i fi ed frui t , i n crack s and
crevi c es i n bark, and i n cankers produc ed b y t he bi t t er rot fungus or b y
ot her di sea s es, suc h as fi re bl i ght . J agged ed ges of brok en l i m bs ar e
al s o i deal si t es. The bi t t er rot fun gus i s one of t he few r ot organi sm s
t hat can penet r at e unbroken ski n of frui t . Al t hough p enet rat i on i s
di rect , wounds can be col oni z ed rapi dl y b y t he fun gus. S po res are
wat erborn e and are rel eased duri n g r ai nfal l t hroughout t he growi n g
s eas on. Frui t i nfect i on can occur e arl y b ut i s m ore com m on from m i d t o
l at e s eason. O ft en, t he fi rst i nfect i on s appear i n cone -s haped a reas
wi t hi n t he t ree bene at h m um m i es or a cank er. Fact o rs whi c h det erm i ne
t he t i m e of appea rance o f bi t t er ro t are t he m at uri t y of f rui t ,
t em perat ur e and hu m i di t y, and t h e pr es ence of di se ase i n t he a rea. The
opt i m um condi t i ons for di se ase dev el o pm ent i ncl ude rai n f al l , rel at i ve
hum i di t y of 80 t o 100 p ercent , and w arm t em perat ur es. Infect i on can
occur i n as l i t t l e as fi ve hours at 26˚C .
42
Management
Spray Mancozeb 0.25 % in field. Treatment with Mancozeb 0.25 % to check the
disease in storage.
43
Lecture 08 - Diseases of Chilli
Damping off: Pythium aphanidermatum

Symptoms:
Seedlings killed before emergence.
Water soaking and shrivelling of stem.
Factors favouring infection:Moist soils
poordrainage 90-100% R.H soil temperature
20°C.
Pathogen
Mycelium is hyaline, coenocytic and zoosporangia are lobed and branched.
Zoospores are biflagellate and oogonia are spherical with smooth walled.Antheridia are
monoclinous, intercalary or terminal. Oospores are aplerotic, single with thick wall.
The pathogen is soil borne. Zoospores spread through irrigation water. The
disease spreads to main field by planting infected seedlings.
Management
Soil drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.25%
Fruit Rot and Die Back- Colletotrichum capsici
Symptoms:
As the fungus causes necrosis of
tender twigs from the tip backwards the
disease is called die-back Infection usually
begins when the crop is in flower. Flowers
drop and dry up. There is profuse shedding
of flowers. The flower stalk shrivel and dry
up. This drying up spreads from the flower
stalks to the stem and subsequently causes die-back of the branches and stem and the
branches wither. Partia1lly affected plants bear fruits which are few and of low quality.
44
On the surface of the soil the necrotic areas are found separated from the healthy area by
a dark brown to black band.
Pathogen
The mycelium is septate and inter and intra cellular. Conidia in mass appear
pinkish. They are borne singly at the tip of conidiophores.
The fungus is seed borne and the secondary infection is by air borne conidia ans
also by rain. The disease spreads rapidly by wind blown rains during rainy season. Flies
and other insects are found responsible for dissemination of the spores from one fruit to
another. The fungus may not survive long in soil, but may survive on the dead twigs
stored under dry conditions. Seeds from badly diseased fruits may also carry the primary
inoculum.
Management
Use of disease-free seeds is important in preventing the disease. Seed treatment
with Thiram or Captan 4g/kg is found to be -effective in eliminating the seed-borne
inoculum. Good control of the disease has been reported by three sprayings with Ziram
O. 25% Captan 0.2% or miltox 0.2%. Chemicals like wettable sulphur 0.2%, copper
oxychloride 0.25% and Zineb 0.15% not only reduced the disease incidence but also
increased the yield of fruits. The first spraying should be given just before flowering and
the second at the time of fruit formation. Third spraying may be given a fortnight after
second spraying.
Powdery mildew: Leveillula taurica
Symptoms
Shedding of foliage. White powdery growth
on lower side of leaves.
Disease cycle
The powdery mildew disease cycle (life cycle)
starts when spores (known as conidia) land on a chilli leaf. Spores germinate much like a
seed and begin to grow into the leaf. chilli powdery mildew parasitizes the plant using it
as a food source. The fungus initially grows unseen within the leaf for a latency period of
18-21 days. Then the fungus grows out of the breathing pores (stomates) on the under
45
surface of the leaf, producing spores which are borne singly on numerous, fine strands or
stalks (conidiophores). These fungal strands become visible as white patches or mildew
colonies on the under side of the leaf. Repeated cycles of powdery mildew can lead to
severe outbreaks of powdery mildew that economically damage the crop.
Management
Spray Wettable sulphur 0.25% or Dinocap (Karathane) 0.05%
Bacterial leaf spot: Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria
Symptoms
The leaves exhibit small circular or irregular, dark
brown or black greasy spots. As the spots enlarge in size,
the centre becomes lighter Surrounded by a dark band of
tissue. The spot coalesce to form irregular lesions. Severely
affected leaves become chlorotic and fall off. Petioles and
stems are also affected. Stem infection leads to formation
of cankerous growth and wilting of branches. On the fruits
46
round, raised water soaked spots with a pale yellow border and produced. The spots turn
brown developing a depression in the centre wherein shining droplets of Bacterial cozen
may be observed.

The disease is primarily seed borne. It spreads in the nursery and is further
disseminated with infected transplants. Spattering rains are the chief means of
dissemination. The bacterium subsists in infected debris.
Management
Seed treatment with 0.1% mercuric chloride solution for 2 to 5 minutes is
effective. Seedlings may be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 1. Per cent or copper
oxychloride 0.25%. Spraying with streptomycin should not be done after fruits begin to
form. Field sanitation is important. Also seeds must be obtained from disease free plants.
Cercospora leaf spot :Cercospora capsici
Symptoms
Leaf lesions typically are brown and circular with small
to large light grey centers and dark brown margins. The
lesions may enlarge to 1cm or more in diameter and some
times coalesce. Stem, petiole and pod lesions also have light grey centers with dark
borders, but they are typically elliptical. Severely infected leaves drop off prematurely
resulting in reduced yield.
Pathogen
Stromata are well developed. Conidiophores are 30- 60 x 4.5 – 5.5 micron meter.
Conidia are subhyaline to coloured, acicular to obculate.
Primary source of infection are infected seeds, volunteer plants and infected plant
debris. Secondary spread is through air borne conidia.
47
Management
Spray twice at 10-15 days interval with Mancozeb 0.25% or Chlorothalonil
(Kavach) 0.1%.
Fusarium wilt :Fusarium oxysporum
f.sp.capsici
Symptoms
Fusarium wilt is characterised by wilting
of the plant and upward and inward rolling
of the leaves. The leaves turn yellow and
die. Generally appear localised areas of the
field where a high percentage of the plants wilt and die, although scattered wilted plants
may also occur. Disease symptoms are characterised by an initial slight yellowing of the
foliage and wilting of the upper leaves that progress in a few days into a permanent wilt
with the leaves still attached. By the time above - ground symptoms are evident, the
vascular system of the plant is discoloured, particularly in the lower stem and roots.
Pathogen
Mycelium is grayish white. Microconidia are formed singly, hyaline and
cylindrical. Macro conidia are cylindrical to falcate. Chlamydospores are globose to oval
and rough walled.
Management
Use of wilt resistant varieties. Drenching with 1% Bordeaux mixture or Blue
copper or Fytolan 0.25% may give protection.· Seed treatment with 4g Trichoderma
viride formulation or 2g Carbendazim per kg seed is effective. Mix 2kg T.viride
formulation mixed with 50kg FYM, sprinkle water and cover with a thin polythene sheet.
When mycelia growth is visible on the heap after 15 days, apply the mixture in rows of
chilli in an area of one acre.
Leaf curl
Leaves curl towards midrib and become deformed. Stunted plant growth due to
shortened internodes and leaves greatly reduced in size. Flower buds abcise before
attaining full size and anthers do not contain pollen grains. The virus is generally
transmitted by whitefly. So control measures of whitefly in this regard would be helpful.
48
Mosaic Viruses
Light green and dark green patches on the leaves. Stunted plant growth during
early stages. Yellowing, chlorotic ring spots on leaves and fruits.
Management of viral diseases
Control measures are not known for majority of viral diseases. Hence, mechanical,
cultural methods are mostly recommended. The infected plants should be uprooted and
burnt or buried to avoid further infection. Avoid monoculture of chilli crop. Selection of
healthy and disease - free seed. Suitable insecticidal sprays reduce the incidence of viral
diseases, since majority of viral diseases are transmitted by insect vectors. Soaking seeds
in a solution containing 150 g Trisodium orthriphosphate per litre of water for 30 minutes
inhibits seed - borne inoculum.
Treated seed should be washed with fresh water and dried before sowing. Nursery
beds should be covered with nylon net or straw to protect the seedlings from viral
infection. Raise 2-3 rows of maize or sorghum as border crop to restrict the spread of
aphid vectors. Apply Carbofuran 3G @ 4-5 Kg/acre in the mainfield to control sucking
complex and insect vectors selectively. If it is not possible spray the crop with systemic
insecticides. Like Monocrotophos 1.5 ml or Dimethoate 2ml of Acephate 1g per litre of
water. Collect and destroy infected virus plants as soon as they are noticed.
Bacterial soft rot -Erwinia carotovora subsp. Carotovora
Symptoms
The fleshy fruit peduncle is highly susceptible and is
frequently the initial point of infection. Both ripe and green
fruit may be affected. Initially, the lesions on the fruit are light
to dark-colored, water-soaked, and somewhat sunken. The
affected areas expand very rapidly, particularly under high
temperatures, and tissues lose their texture. In later stages,
bacterial ooze may develop from affected areas, and secondary organisms follow, often
invading the rotted tissue. Post-harvest softening of stem end of fruit. The affected fruit
hang from the plant like a water-filled bag.
Conditions for Disease Development
49
The bacteria may persist in fields where peppers are rotated with other
susceptible crops such as cabbage and potato. The bacteria may be present as a
contaminant on the surface of pepper seed. The bacteria can be transmitted by drainage
water, irrigation water, or by sprinkler irrigation, but a wound is necessary for infection
to occur. Wounding often arises from rough handling of plants during weeding, or due to
a strong wind, or from insect feeding. European and Asiatic corn borers may introduce
bacteria into the fruit peduncle of pepper during feeding. A high rate of nitrogen
fertilization is associated wit increased susceptibility to soft rot. Warm, moist weather is
also highly favorable for infection.
Management
Use chlorinated wash water to reduce populations of soft rot bacteria and to
reduce the risk of infection during washing. This will not reduce soft rot development
in fruit infected with the bacterium prior to harvest. Allow fruit to dry thoroughly. During
packing and storage, the fruit should be kept clean and maintained in a cool, dry place
Alternaria Rot- Alternaria sp.
Symptoms
The fungus is reported to enter wounds (sunscald or punctures). Dusty black
spores on fruit spots are characteristic. In most instances this disease follows blossom-
end rot, but it also follows injuries, chilling, and other decays. On the fruit, large
greenish-brown to brown lesions covered, with grayish-brown mold are produced.
Similar lesions on the lower-part of the fruit are characteristic of Alternaria rot following
blossom-end rot. The larger lesions may show alternating light and dark-brown
concentric zones. Shipping peppers under standard refrigeration will check the
development of this rot, but when the fruit is removed from refrigeration the decay will
advance rapidly at moderate to warm temperatures.
Pathogen
Hyphae are septate, branched, light brown becoming darker with age and inter
and intra cellular. Conidiophores emerge through stomata. Conidia are single and
muriform.
50

Infected seeds, volunteer plants and infected plant debris are primary source of
infection.
Management
Pre storage dry heat
The effectiveness of a prestorage dry heat treatment and hot water dip in reducing
storage rots of capsicum caused by Alternaria alternata. Treatment with hot air at 38˚C
for 48-72 h or hot water at 50˚C to 53˚C for 2 to 3 min, resulted in reduction in the
pathogenicity and development of these pathogens in inoculate peppers.
51
Lecture 09 - Diseases of Brinjal

Bacterial Wilt: Pseudomonas solanacearum
Symptoms
Bacterial wilt symptoms on leaf surface Wilting,
stunting, yellowing of the foliage and finally collapse of
the entire plant are the characteristic symptoms of the
disease. Lower leaves may droop first before wilting
occurs. The vascular system becomes brown. Bacterial
ooze comes out from the affected parts. Plant show wilting
symptoms at noontime will recover at nights, but die soon.
Pathogen
The bacterium is non acid fast, non spore forming, non capsulated and motile by a
polar flagellum. The bacterium produces acid but no gas in dextrose, sucrose, lactose and
glycerol. Starch hydrolyzed with slight liquefaction of gelatin.
The bacterium infects banana, chillies, fennel, ginger, potato, radish, tomato etc.,
the bacterium though a non spore former is found to be alive and viable for more than 16
months under laboratory conditions. The pathogen is found to be alive in the infected
plant debris for about 10 months. Presence of root knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica
increases the wilt incidence.
Management
Use resistant variety .Crop rotation with cruciferous vegetables such as
cauliflower help in reducing the disease incidence. Fields should be kept clean and
effected parts are to be collected and burnt. Spray Copper fungicides to control the
disease (2% Bordeaux mixture.). The disease is more prevalent in the presence of root
knot Nematodes, so control of these nematodes will suppress the disease spread.
Cercospora Leaf Spot :Cercospora solani -melongenae,
C. solani
Symptoms
The leaf spots are characterized by chlorotic
lesions, angular to irregular in shape, later turn grayish-
52
brown with profuse sporulation at the centre of the spot. Severely infected leaves drop off
prematurely, resulting in reduced fruit yield.
Pathogen
The fungus produces stromata which are globular. Conidiophores in mass are
medium dark and slightly olivaceous brown in colour and paler towards the tip. Conidia
are sub hyaline to pale olivaceous.
The disease is spread by air borne conidia.
Management
Pant Samrat variety is resistant to both the leaf spots. Diseases can be managed by
growing resistant varieties. Spraying 1 per cent Bordeaux mixture or 2 g Copper
oxychloride or 2.5 g Zineb per litre of water effectively controls leaf spots.
Alternaria leaf Spot :Alternaria melongenae, A. solani
Symptoms
Cracks appearing in leaf spot. The two species of
Alternaria occur commonly, causing the characteristic leaf spots
with concentric rings. The spots are mostly irregular, 4-8 mm in
diameter and may coalesce to cover large areas of the leaf blade. Severely affected leaves
may drop off. A. melongenae also infects the fruits causing large deep-seated spots. The
infected fruits turn yellow and drop off prematurely.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate, branched, light brown to dark brown. It is inter and intra
cellular. Conidiophores emerge through stomata and dark colored. Conidia are single
celled, muriform, beaked and produced in chains. The conidia are with 5-10 transverse
septa and a few longitudinal or oblique septa.
The disease is spread by wind borne conidia.
Management
Spraying 1 per cent Bordeaux mixture or 2 g Copper oxychloride or 2.5 g Zineb
per litre of water effectively controls leaf spots.
53
Little Leaf of Brinjal

Economic Importance
This disease of brinjal was reported from India in 1938 and as far as known it
occurs only in India and Sri Lanka. In almost all the states of the country it has become a
serious problem facing brinjal cultivation. The yield loss is hundred per cent in the
diseased plants.
Symptom
The characteristic symptom is the smallness of the
leaves. The petioles are so short and the leaves appear to be
sticking to be stem. Such leaves are narrow, soft, smooth
and yellow. Newly formed leaves are much more shorter.
The internodes of the stem are also shortened. Axillary
buds get enlarged but their petioles and leaves remain
shortened. This gives the plant a bushy appearance. Mostly,
there is no flowering but if flowers are formed they remain
green. Fruiting is rare.
Pathogen
Little leaf was first considered a disease caused by a virus. In 1969 it was
attributed to a mycoplasma-like organism, closely related to aster-yellows and curly top.
It is a sap transmissible disease. The organism has been transmitted to Datura, tomato
and tobacco. It occurs in nature on Datura fastuosa and Vinca rosea. Natural
transmission is through a vector, Cestius phycytis (Eutettix phycytis) while Empoasca
devastans is a less effective vector. Perennation of the organism is through its weed hosts.
The disease is transmitted by leaf hoppers, Hishimonas phycitis and Empoasca
devastans and grafting. E. devastans is less effective vector. Perennation of virus is
through weed host. This disease has a very wide host range.
Management
The severity of the disease can be reduced by destruction of affected plants and
spraying of insecticides. New crop should be planted only when diseased plants in the
field and its neighbourhood have been removed.
54
Methyldemeton 25 EC 2 ml / litre
Dimethoate 30 EC 2 ml/ litre
Malathion 50 EC 2 ml/litre
has been recommended for vector control.
Although mycoplasmas are reported to be suppressed by tetracyclines field
application of this method has not yet been recommended. Varietal resistance has not
been systematically studied. Cultivars such as Pusa Purple Cluster, Arka Sheel, Aushy,
Manjari Gota and Banaras Giant show moderate resistance to resistance in the field.
Other cultivars found tolerant to the disease are Black Beauty, Brinjal Round and Surati.
Damping off: Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium indicum, , Phytophthora parasitica,
Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotium rolfsii.
Symptom
Sudden collapsing of the seed lings occur in the seed bed. The seedlings are
attacked at the collar region and the attacked seedlings are toppled down. The disease
spreads through fungi present in the soil. The disease spreads through fungi present in the
soil.
Management
The disease can be controlled by seed treatment with agrosan or ceresin @2gm/kg
of seed.
Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
Symptoms
Mosaic mottling of leaves and stunting of plants are the characteristic symptoms of
potato virus Y Mosaic symptoms are mild in early stages but later become severe.
Infected leaves are deformed, small and leathery. Very few fruits are produced on
infected plants. The important symptom produced by tobacco mosaic virus is
conspicuous mottling of leaves. Leaves also develop blisters in advanced cases. Severely
infected leaves become small and misshapen. Plants infected early remain stunted. PVY
is easily sap transmitted.
It is transmitted in the field through aphids, Aphis gossypii and Myzus persicae
and perpetuates on weed hosts like Solanum nigrum and S.xanthocarpum. TMV is
transmitted by sap, contaminated implements and clothes, soil debris and hands of labour.
55
It can perpetuate on many cultivated plants like cucurbits, legumes, pepper, tobacco,
tomato and weed hosts. The virus survives in plant debris in soil.
Management
Destroy all weeds and avoid planting cucumber, pepper, tobacco, tomato near
brinjal seed beds and field. Wash hands with soap and water before working in seed beds.
Prohibit smoking or chewing of tobacco who are handling brinjal seedlings. Spray
insecticides like Dimethoate 2 ml/litre or Metasystox 1 ml/litre of water to control the
insect vectors.
Collar rot :Sclerotium rolfsii
Symptoms
The disease occasionally occurs in serious form. The lower portion of the stem is
affected from the soil borne inoculum (sclerotia). Decortications is the main symptom.
Exposure and necrosis of underlying tissues may lead to collapse of the plant. Near the
ground surface on the stem may be seen the mycelia and sclerotia. Lack of plant vigour,
accumulation of water around the stem, and mechanical injuries help in development of
this disease.
Management
Seed treatment with 4 g of Trichoderma viride formulation per kg seed will help
in reducing the disease. Spraying with Mancozeb @ 2g/Litre of water. Collection and
destruction of diseased parts and portions of the plant.
Fruit rot :Phomopsis vexans
Symptoms
Affects all above the ground plant parts. Spots generally appear first on seedling
stems or leaves. Girdle seedling stems and kill the seedlings. Leaf spots are clearly
defined, circular, up to about 1 inch in diameter, and brown to gray with a narrow dark
brown margin. Fruit spots are much larger, affected fruit are first soft and watery but later
may become black and mummified. Center of the spot becomes gray, and black pycnidia
develop.
Pathogen
Pycnidia with or without beak are found in the affected tissue. They are globose
or irregular. Conidiophores in the pycnidium are hyaline, simple or branched. Conidia are
56
hyaline, one celled and sub cylindrical. Ascospores are hyaline, narrowly ellipsoid to
bluntly fusoid with one septum.
The fungus survives in the infected plant debris in the soil. It is seed borne. The
spores are spread by rain splashes. The fungus spreads through implements and insects.
Management
Seeds should be dipped in hot water at 50˚C for 30 min. spraying with difolation
0.2% or captan 0.2% in the nursery and field at 7 – 10 days interval controls the disease.
Deep summer ploughing, three year crop roation and collection and destruction of
diseased plant debris are some of the other control methods. Spraying the crop in the field
with zineb 0.2% or Bordeaux mixture 0.8% is effective in controlling Phomopsis blight.
57
Lecture 10 - Diseases of Bhendi
Bhendi
Cercospora Leaf Spots:Cercospora malayensis,
C. abelmoschi
Symptoms
In India, two species of Cercospora produce
leaf spots in bhendi. C. Malayensis causes brown,
irregular spots and C. abelmoschi causes sooty black,
angular spots.Both the leaf spots cause severe
defoliation and are common during humid seasons.
Pathogen
Conidiophores are pale to medium olivaceous brown, multiseptate, some times
branched, geniculate and irregular. Conidia are obclavate to cylindric, olivaceous brown
and straight to curved.
The fungus survives in the diseased crop material.
Management
Spraying Mancozeb 0.25 % control the disease.
Fusarium wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum
Symptoms
The conspicuous symptom is a typical wilt, beginning with a yellowing and
stunting of the plant, followed by wilting and rolling of the leaves as if the roots were
unable to supply sufficient water. Finally, the plant dies. If a diseased stem is split
lengthwise, the vascular bundles appear as dark streaks. When severely infected, nearly
the whole stem is blackend.
Pathogen
Macroconidia are 3- 5 septate formed on sporodochia and pionnotes. In mass
conidia appear buff or salmon orange in color. Macroconidia are fusiform and curved
inward at both ends. The base is pedicellate. Microconidia are septate. Terminal and
intercalary chlamydospores are broadly ovate.
58

The fungus is soil borne.
Management
Treat the seeds with Mancozeb @ 3g/kg seed. Drench the field with Copper oxy
chloride @ 0.25%.
Powdery mildew: Erysiphecichoracearum
Symptoms
Powdery mildew is very severe on bhendi.
Greyish powdery growth occurs on the under as
well as on the upper surface of the leaf causing
severe reduction in fruit yield.
Pathogen
Conidia are single celled, hyaline, barrel shaped and in long chains. Cleistothecia
are globose and dark brown myceloid appendages. The asci are pedicellate, ovate or
ellipsoid. The number of ascospores is usually 2 rarely 3 per ascus. The ascospores are
single celled, hyaline and oval to sub cylindrical
Management
Spary inorganic sulphur 0.25% or Dinocap 0.1% 3 or 4 times at 15 days interval.
Vein-Clearing/Yellow Vein Mosaic :Bhendi yellow vein mosaic virus

Symptoms
Yellowing of the entire network of veins
in the leaf blade is the characteristic
symptom. In severe infections the younger
leaves turn yellow, become reduced in size
and the plant is highly stunted. The veins of
the leaves will be cleared by the virus and
intervenal area becomes completely yellow
or white. In a field, most of the plants may be diseased and the infection may start at any
stage of plant growth. Infection restricts flowering and fruits, if formed, may be smaller
59
and harder. The affected plants produce fruits with yellow or white colour and they are
not fit for marketing.
Pathogen
The virus particles are 16 – 18nm in diameter.
Mode of spread
The virus is spread by whitefly.
Management
By selecting varieties resistant to yellow vein mosaic like Parbhani Kranti, Arka
Abhay, Arka Anamika, and Varsha Uphar, the incidence of the disease can be minimised.
The virus is transmitted by the whitely (Bemisia tabaci,. Parbhani Kranti, Janardhan,
Haritha, Arka Anamika and Arka Abhay can tolerate yellow vein mosaic. For sowing
during the summer season, when the whitefly activity is high, the susceptible varieties
should be avoided. Spraying monocrotophos 1.5 ml/litre of water can restrict the disease
spread. Synthetic pyrethroids should not be used because it will aggravate the situation. It
can be controlled by application of Chlorpyriphos 2.5 ml + neem oil 2 ml lit of water.
Phoma canker (Phoma exigua)
Water soaked lesion appear on fruits. Black spots with irregular margin Black
area - pycnidial formation. 80-90% fruit loss post harvest rot of okra pods rhizoctonia
solani in brazil. Completely rotted, the pod's typical greenish color turning brown and the
infected tissues fully covered with mycelia. Internally, immature seeds and placenta
infected. Diseased tissues were light brown to black. Externally, mycelia tend to be fluffy
and lighter in color, forming a large number of dark sclerotia on the fruit surface.
60
Lecture 11 - Diseases of Potato (2 Lectures)
Late blight of potato: Phytopthora infestans

Symptom:
It affects leaves, stems and
tubers. Water soaked spots appear on
leaves, increase in size, turn purple
brown& finally black colour White
growth develops on under surface of
leaves. This spreads to petioles, rachis&
stems. It frequently develops at nodes.
Stem breaks at these points and the plant topples over. In tubers, purplish brown spots
and spread to the entire surface on cutting, the affected tuber show rusty brown necrosis
spreading from surface to the center.
Pathogen
The mycelium is endophytic, coenocytic and hyaline which are inter cellular with
double club shaped haustoria type. Sporangiophores are hyaline, branched intermediate
and thick walled. Sporangia are thin walled, hyaline, oval or pear shaped with a definite
papilla at the apex. The sporangium may act as a conidium and germinate directly to form
a germ tube. Zoospores are biflagellate possess fine hairs while the other does not.
The infected tubers and the infected soil may serve as a source of primary
infection. The diseased tubers are mainly responsible for persistence of the disease from
crop to crop. The air borne infection is caused by the sporangia.
RH->90% , Temp.-10-25°C and Night temperature:10°C. Cloudiness on the next day
Rainfall at least 0.1mm, the following day.
61
Management
A regular spraying and dusting during the growing season give effective control.
First spraying should be given before the commencement of the disease and subsequent
should follow at reqular interval of 10 -15 days. Protective spraying with mancozeb or
zineb 0.2 % should be done to prevent infection of tubers. Destruction of the foliage few
days before harvest is beneficial and this is accomplished by spraying with suitable
herbicide. Tuber contamination is minimized if injuries are avoided at harvest time and
storing of visibly infected tubers before storage. The resistant varities recommended for
cultivation are Kufri Naveen, Kufri Jeevan, Kufri
Alenkar, Kufri Khasi Garo and Kufri Moti.
Early blight: Alternaria solani
Symptoms
It is present in both hills & plains. Brown-
black necrotic spot-angular, oval shape
characterized by concentric rings .Several spot
62
coalesce & spread all over the leaf. Shot holes on fruits.
Pathogen
Hyphae are light brown or olivaceous which become dark coloured with age. The
hyphae are branched, septate and inter and intra cellular. The coniophores emerge
through the stomata or between the epidermal cells. The conidia are club shaped with a
long beak which is often half the long of the whole conidium. The lower part of the
conidium is brown while the neck is colorless. The body of the conidium is divided by 5
– 10 transverse septa and there may or may not be a few longitudinal septa.
Favourable condition
Dry warm weather with intermittent rain .Poor vigor. Temperature: 25-30°C.
Poorly manured crop.
63

The conidia and the mycelium in the soil or in the debris of the affected plants can
remain viable for more than 17 months. These conidia or the new conidia found on the
overwintered mycelium bring about the primary infection of the succeeding potato crop.
Secondary infection is more important in the spread of the disease. The conidia formed
on the spots developed due to primary infection are disseminated by wind to long
distances. The conidia from the affected plant may also be disseminated to the adjoining
plants by rain and insects.
Management
Disease free seed tubers should be used for planting. Removal and destruction of
infected plant debris should be done because the spores lying in the soil are the primary
source of infection. Very early spraying with Zineb or captan 0.2% and repeating it for
every 15 – 20 days gives effective control. The variety Kufri Sindhuri possesses a fair
degree of resistance.
Post-harvest tuber rots - Sclerotium rolfsii
Symptoms
Wilting is the initial symptom. Yellowish brown coloured Sclerotia appeared on
the infected tuber. Rotting of the tuber. Milky white and floccose appearance of the
tuber.
Pathogen
The mycelium is silky white and floccose. It is comprised of septate and branched
hyphae. The branching take place just below the septum. The cells are large in size.
Sclerotia of the fungus are white to begin with and become clove brown at maturity. They
are globose and smooth surfaced.
Favorable condition
Optimum temperature 30-35ºC. Alternate period of wet and dry soil condition.
The mycelium and sclerotia of the organisam subsist in the soil and are
responsible for the infection of the crop. The pathogen is disseminated with infected soil,
64
in running water and on farm implements. Mycelium and sclerotia may also be carried to
soil with the seed tubers. In dry soil scleritia can remain viable for more than two years.
Management
Treating seeds with mercury compounds after harvest reduces tuber rot. Treating
the furrows at planting with PCNB @ 15kg/ ha reduces the disease icidence.Cultural
practices like heavy earthing and irrigation at regular intervals can also check the disease.
The disease is low in the variety Kufri Sindhuri. Among the Indian commercial cultivars,
Kufri Bahar, Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri Jyothi, Kufri muthu and Kufri swarna are resistant.
The disease can be controlled to a certain extent by growing non susceptible crops like
corn and sorghum.
Black scurf- R. solani

Symptoms
Black speck, black speck scab, russet
scab on tubers. At the time of sprouting dark
brown colour appear on the eyes. Affected
Xylem tissue causes to wilting of plants.
Infected tuber contains russeting of the skin.
Hard dry rot with browning on internal tissue.
Spongy mass appear on the infected tuber. Seed
tubers are source of spread. Moderately cool, wet weather and temp 23 °C are the
favourable for the development of disease.
Pathogen
The mycelium is hyaline when young and brown at maturity. Hyphae are septate
and branched with a characteristic constriction at their junction with the main hyphae.
The branches arise at a right angle to main axis. Sclerotia are black. A basidium bears
four sterimata each with a basidiospore at the end. The basidiospores are hyaline,
elliptical to obovate and thin walled. They are capable of forming secondary
basidiospores.
65

The fungus is capable of leading a saprophytic life on the organic material and
can remain viable in the soil for several years. The sclerotia on the seed tubers is the
principal source of infection of the subsequent crop raised with these tubers. On return of
favourable conditions the mycelium present in the soil may develop producing new
hypae.
Management
Disease free seed tubers alone should be planted. If there is a slight infection of
black scurf that can be controlled by treating seed tubers with mercuric chloride solution
66
for 1.5 hr with acidulated mercuric chloride solution for 5 min. Treating the soil with
pentachloroni trobenzene at the rate of 70 kg/ ha lowers the incidence of the disease, but
it is too expensive and cumbersome. Well sporulated tubrs may be planted shallow to
control disease. The disease severity is reduced in the land is left fallow for 2 years.
Common scab or corkey scab – Streptomyces scabies

Symptoms
Corkiness of the tuber periderm is
the characteristics symptoms. 1/4 inch into
the tuber surface are russette appearance.
Slightly pitted on the infected tuber. Light
brown to dark brown lesion appears on the
infected tuber. Affected tissue will attract
insects.
Pathogen
Aerial mycelium in pure culture has of prostrate branched threads. Sporogenous
hyphae are spiral in form. Conidia are produced by the formation of septa at intervals
along the hyphae, which contract to form narrow isthmuses between the cells. Conidia
are roughly cylindrical and hyaline. The conidia can germinate even at higher
temperatures. The growth of the organisam is good in slightly alkaline medium and is
checked at pH 5.2.
It attacks cabbage, carrot, egg plant, onion, radish, spinach and turnip. The causal
organism perpetuates in soil and infects the crop every year. Infected potato tubers serve
as the main source of long distance spread of the disease. The pathogen may survive
passage through digestive tract of animals and hence it may spread with farm yard
manure.
67
Disease Cycle
Management
Only scab free seed potatoes should be planted as this will help in checking the
spread of the inoculum and infection to be subsequent crop. Infection of the seed tubers
68
can be removed by 1.5hrs dip in mercuric chloride 0.1% solution or by 2h dip in 1 part
formaldehyde in 240 parts of water. This disease can be reduced by soil application of
PCNB at the time of planting. Four to six years crop roation with alfalfa satisfactory
under irrigated conditions. The disease incidence can be effectively reduced by green
manuring the fields before planting potatoes. Common scab is severe in alkaline soil and
application of alkaline fertilizers like calcium ammonium nitrate should be avoided.
Brown rot or Bangle blight -Ralstonia solanacearum
Symptoms
At the time tuber
formation wilt is the main
characteristic symptom. In leaf
symptom -wilt, stunt and
yellowing. Browning of xylem
tissue. Eye buds are black in
colour. Bacteria ooze coming on infected tuber surface and emits a foul odour.
Pathogen
G –ve, short rod, 1-4 flagella. Colonies are white to brown in colour
Favourable condition
Temp 25to 35ºC , RH above 50 % and PH 6.2-6.6 favours for the development of
disease. Acid soil is not favourable.
Infected soil and seed tubers form the main source of the primary infection.
Brown rot affected plant parts decay and release masses of bacteria in the soil where
these may remain viable from season to season. The bacteria in the soil are disseminated
by wind from one field to the other. The infection usually occurs through wounds in the
root system.
Disease cycle
R. solanacearum is a soilborne and waterborne pathogen; the bacterium can
survive and disperse for various periods of time in infested soil or water, which can form
a reservoir source of inoculum. In potato, the brown rot pathogen is also commonly tuber
69
borne. The bacterium usually infects potato plants through the roots (through wounds or
at the points of emergence of lateral roots).
Under favorable conditions,
potato plants infected with R.
solanacearum may not show any disease
symptoms. In this case, latently infected
tubers used for potato seed production
may play a major role in spread of the
bacterium from infected potato seed
production sites to healthy potato-
growing sites. R. solanacearum can survive for days to years in infected plant material in
soils, infested surface irrigation water, infected weeds, and infected potato washings and
sewage. From these sources of inoculum, bacteria can spread from infested to healthy
fields by soil transfer on machinery, and surface runoff water after irrigation or rainfall.
Infected semi-aquatic weeds may also play a major role in disseminating the pathogen by
releasing bacteria from roots into irrigation water supplies.
Soft rot- Erwinia carotovora subsp caratovora
Symptoms
Infection at two phases are black leg
and soft rot. Black lesion appear on the base
of the plant .Systemic and browning of
infected tubers. Yellow appearance of the
plant. Finally the plants wilt and die.
Lenticels (water soaked brown rot). Rot and
collapse of tubers. Soft, reddish or black ring appear on the infected tuber.
Pathogen
It is a gram negative rod shaped bacterium with 1 to 6 peritrichous flagella.
Infected tubers attract the flies (Hymelia and Phorlin sp). Spread through
immature contaminated soil and tuber. Optimum temperature 21 to 29 ºC and RH 94%
Management
70
The pathogen is difficult to control because of long survival both on seed tubers and
in soils. However using disease free seed tubers could minimize the disease incidence.
Before planting the seed tubers are treated with Boric Acid (3% for 30 minutes) and dried
in shade. The same treatment is repeated before the storage of the tubers.
The disease can be reduced by soil application of PCNB (30 kg/ha) at the time of
planting. Following crop rotations with wheat, pea, oats, barley, lupin, soybean, sorghum
and bajra checks the disease development. In plains, treatment of the seed tubers with
TBZ + acetic acid + 0.05% Zinc Sulphate solution or Carbendazim 1% for 15 minutes
effectively controls the disease. Soaking of tubers in Mercuric chloride 0.1% formalin.
71
Lecture 12 - Diseases of Cucurbits (2 Lectures)
Cucumber and squash

Vascular Wilt: Erwinia tracheiphila
Symptoms
Symptoms of the disease first appear on a
single leaf which suddenly wilts and becomes
dull green. The wilting symptoms spread up and
down the runner sometimes as a recurring wilt
on hot, dry days. Soon infected runners and
leaves turn brown and die. The bacteria spread
through the xylem vessels of the infected runner
to the main stem, then to other runners.
Eventually the entire plant shrivels and dies.
Less susceptible plants, such as certain squash varieties, may show dwarfing of
growth before the wilt symptoms become apparent.
Creamy white bacterial ooze consisting of thousands of microscopic, rod-shaped
bacteria may sometimes be seen in the xylem vascular bundles of an affected stem if it is
cut crosswise near the ground and squeezed. This bacterial ooze will string out forming
fine, shiny threads (like a spider's web) if a knife blade or finger is pressed firmly against
the cut surface, then slowly drawn away about 1 cm.
Two cut stem ends can also be put together, squeezed, then separated to look for
shiny strands of bacteria. The sap of a healthy plant is watery and will not string.
Sometimes it helps to wait several minutes after cutting to perform the test. This
technique is useful in field diagnosis to separate this disease from other vascular wilts.
Beware, however, that the technique may not always work (i.e., no bacterial strings occur
yet the plant is still infected). The test works better for cucumbers than for muskmelons.
Fruit may also show symptoms. Small water-soaked patches form on the surface. These
patches eventually turn into shiny decayed spots on the fruit.
72
Pathogen
It is a motile rod with 4 – 8 peritrichous flagella and capsulated. Agar colonies are
small, circular, smooth, glistening white and viscid.
The bacteria apparently overwinter in cucumber beetles and they appear to
multiply in the beetle. The bacterium is not seed borne or soil borne. Bacteria in stems
can survive for one month. Beetles prefer to feed on plants with bacterial symptoms than
on healthy plants. Beetle can remain infective for atleast three weeks. Striped cucumber
beetle and the 12- spotted cucumber beetle help in the spread of the bacterium.
Management
Larger plantings must be protected by insecticides. Some carbaryl (Sevin),
malathion, or rotenone insecticides or combination products are registered to treat
cucumber beetles. They will provide control of the beetles if applied when beetles first
appear in the spring. Early control, beginning as soon as the plants emerge, is most
important as a single beetle can introduce the bacteria. One to four generations of the
beetle may occur on unprotected plants and applications of these insecticides at weekly
intervals may become necessary. Apply a light even coating of the insecticide over the
entire plant, especially where the stem emerges from the soil (that is where the beetles
often congregate).
Scab: Cladosporium cucumerinum
Symptoms
Scab lesions appear on all parts of the
vine that are above ground. The first
symptoms appear as light water soaked or
pale green spots on the leaves. These spots
are numerous and appear on and between
veins. Similar elongated spots develop on
petioles and stems. Gradually, the spots
turn grey to white and become angular.
The affected leaves near the tip of the vine may be stippled with dead and
yellowish spots, stunted and crinkled. Fruits are infected at all stages of growth but is
73
most susceptible while young. Fruit spots are grey, slightly sunken and about 2.0mm in
dia.
Pathogen
Conidia are oblong, dark, mostly aseptate.
The fungus probably survives in old cucumber refuse or soil in cracks and on
seed. It is disseminated by insects, clothings and tools.
Disease Cycle
The scab organism survives in soil on squash, melon, and pumpkin vines and
reportedly may grow extensively as a saprophyte. The fungus may also be seed borne. It
is disseminated on clothing and equipment and by insects. The conidia can survive long-
distance spread in moist air. The most favorable weather conditions for disease
development are wet weather and temperatures near or below 21°C. At 17°C the growing
tips of young plants are killed. Conidia germinate and enter susceptible tissue within 9 hr.
A spot may appear on leaves within 3 days, and a new crop of spores is produced by the
fourth day.
Management
Crop rotation with corn once in 4 years. Grow resistant varieties like Highmoor
and Maine no.2. Spray Mancozeb 0.2 %.
Musk melon and water melon
Gummy Stem Blight - Mycosphaerella melonis
Symptoms
Infected stems first appear water-soaked and then
become dry, coarse and tan. Older stem lesions (dead
tissue) reveal small black fruiting bodies (pycnidia) within
the affected tissues. Large lesions girdle stems and plants
wilt in the heat of the day. Stem lesions on melons exude a
gummy, red-brown substance which may be mistaken for a
symptom of Fusarium wilt.
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The pathogen can be seed-borne and, thus, can spread by infected seedlings. The
inoculum of the pathogen can also come from other cucurbitaceous host plants and weeds
and infected plant debris in and around the facility. The pathogen produces two types of
spores: asexually-produced pycniospores, and sexually-produced ascospores. Both types
of spores are short-lived once they are released into the environment. However, the
pathogen can survive up to 2 years as chlamydospores or mycelium on undecomposed,
dry plant debris.
Disease Cycle
The gummy stem blight fungus is both seed- and soil-borne. The pathogen may be
carried in or on infested seed. In the absence of host plants, the fungus can over winter
for a year and a half or more on infected crop residue. The exact length of survival in the
Northeast is currently being studied. The fungus survives as dormant mycelium or as
chlamydospores (thick-walled modifications of the mycelium). In northern areas of the
country in the spring, pycnidia are produced, giving rise to conidia, which serve as the
primary inoculum. Conidia are released through a pore (ostiole) in the pycnidia and if
moisture is high, conidia exude as "spore horns" containing thousands of conidia. Conidia
vary in size, are short and cylindrical, with usually one septum near the middle, or they
may be unicellular. Under moist conditions, they are readily dispersed by splashing
water.
Both temperature and moisture are critical for germination, sporulation,
penetration of conidia, and subsequent symptom development, but moisture (relative
humidity over 85 percent, rainfall and duration of leaf wetness from 1 to 10 hours) has
the greatest influence. The optimal temperature for symptom development varies
depending on the cucurbit for watermelon 75° F is optimal, for cucumber 75-77° F, and
for muskmelon 65° F. The optimal temperature for muskmelon reportedly is lower
because its resistance increases at high temperatures.
This can be significant to determine when early-season disease scouting should be
initiated for future control. Penetration by conidia is probably direct and does not need to
occur through stomata or wounds. Wounding, striped cucumber beetles, and aphid
75
feeding, along with powdery mildew infection, predispose plants to infection. The
additional nutrients provided by such injuries enhance gummy stem blight infection.
Management
Use of disease-free seed and transplants is essential to prevent serious crop losses.
Periodic applications of fungicide like mancozeb @ 0.2% can help limit secondary
infections, especially on fruits. Fall plowing and extended rotations with other crops can
significantly reduce the amount of inoculum in infested fields.
Bacterial Wilt - Erwinia tracheiphila
Symptoms
On cucumber and melon, generally a
distinct flagging of lateral and individual
leaves occurs. Affected leaves turn a dull
green. Sometimes wilting occurs on leaves
that have been injured by cucumber
beetles' feeding, but in many cases
obvious feeding is not apparent. Leaves
adjacent to the wilting leaves will also
wilt, and eventually the entire lateral is
affected. The wilt progresses as the bacteria move from the point of entry through the
vascular system toward the main stem of the plant.
Eventually the entire plant wilts and dies. If you cut through the stem of an affected
plant and squeeze both cut ends, a white, sticky exudate will often ooze from the water-
conducting tissue of the stem. This exudate is composed of bacterial material that plugs
the vascular system of the plant. Affected stems do not appear significantly discolored.
Bacterial wilt is closely associated with either the striped or the spotted cucumber beetle.
The bacteria over winter in the bodies of adult cucumber beetles. The beetles carry the
bacteria when they emerge in the spring.
The bacteria are spread either through the feces of the beetle or from contaminated
mouthparts. When the beetles feed on young leaves or cotyledons, they open entry points
for the pathogen. Once inside the plant, the bacteria travel quickly through the vascular
system, causing blockages that in turn result in wilting of the leaves. The disease
76
progresses from plant to plant when a carrier beetle moves through the field or when
clean beetles pick up the bacteria from a diseased plant and fly to healthy plants. Larvae
are not known to carry the wilt organism.
Pathogen
It is a motile rod with 4 – 8 peritrichous flagella and capsulated. Agar colonies are
small, circular, smooth, glistening white and viscid.
The bacteria apparently overwinter in cucumber beetles and they appear to
multiply in the beetle. The bacterium is not seed borne or soil borne. Bacteria in stems
can survive for one month. Beetles prefer to feed on plants with bacterial symptoms than
on healthy plants. Beetle can remain infective for atleast three weeks. Striped cucumber
beetle and the 12- spotted cucumber beetle help in the spread of the bacterium.
Management
In general, more bacterial wilt is seen on the edges of fields where beetles first
encounter plants. Larger plantings must be protected by insecticides. Carbaryl, Malathion
or rotenone insecticides or combination products are registered to treat cucumber beetles.
They will provide control of the beetles if applied when beetles first appear in the spring.
Early control, beginning as soon as the plants emerge, is most important as a single beetle
can introduce the bacteria. One to four generations of the beetle may occur on
unprotected plants and applications of these insecticides at weekly intervals may become
necessary. Apply a light even coating of the insecticide over the entire plant, especially
where the stem emerges from the soil (where the beetles often congregate).
Fusarium Wilt - Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis attacks muskmelon and Fusarium
oxysporom f. sp. niveum attacks watermelon.
Symptoms
Both fungi contribute to
damping-off of seedlings, but most
significant losses occur after young
plants are infected in the field. Plants
infected early in the season often
produce no marketable fruits. Plants that
77
begin to show wilt symptoms at or near maturity produce fewer and lower quality fruits.
The first symptoms of Fusarium wilt are wilting and chlorosis (yellowing) of older
leaves. The wilt is most evident during the heat of the day. Plants may appear to recover
by morning, only to wilt again in the afternoon. Stem cracks and brown streaks often
appear near the crown of the plant and are associated with a red-brown exudate. Fusarium
wilt also causes vascular browning that is visible in stem cross-sections.
The wilt fungus is introduced to new areas on seed. It spreads by wind, equipment
and workers. It can survive long periods in soil as chlamydospores and in association
with melon plant residue.
Management
Planting resistant cultivars is the only reliable way to keep infested fields in
production. Commercially acceptable resistant cultivars exist, but extremely high
pathogen populations in the soil can overcome their resistance. Therefore, methods to
reduce Fusarium populations in the soil also should be employed. These methods include
extended rotations with crops other than cucurbits and fall plowing of severely infested
fields.
Anthracnose Colletotrichum orbiculare (= C. lagenarium)
Symptoms
The diagnostic
features of anthracnose
vary with the host. Sunken,
elongated stem cankers are
most prominent on
muskmelon, though leaf
and fruit lesions also occur.
Large lesions girdle the
stems and cause the vines
to wilt. Stem cankers are less obvious on cucumbers, but leaf lesions are very distinct.
Watermelon foliage affected by anthracnose appears scorched; sunken fruit lesions are
easy to recognize. The anthracnose fungus over winters on diseased crop residue. There
78
also reported that the pathogen is carried in or on cucurbit seed. In wet conditions each
spring, the fungus releases airborne spores that begin new infections on vines and foliage.
Anthracnose usually becomes established in mid-season, after the crop canopy has fully
developed.
The fungus can infect muskmelon and watermelon in addition to cucumber. The
pathogen survives the winter in infected plant residues. The fungus can also be associated
with seed. As with most fungal diseases, long periods of leaf wetness favor disease
development. Spores are splashed from leaf to leaf, and plant to plant, during irrigation or
rain events. Several disease cycles can occur in a single growing season, resulting in
defoliation of severely infected plants.
Management
Seed treatment with Carbendazim 2g/kg of seed. Spray Mancozeb 2g or
Carbendazim 0.5g/lit.
Sudden Wilt
Symptoms
Unlike bacterial wilt, which can occur any time
during the season, sudden wilt generally occurs late in
the season and is closely associated with a heavy fruit
load on the plant. Cucumbers and melons appear to be
most sensitive to sudden wilt. Initial symptoms are a
slight flagging of the plants in midday even when abundant moisture is present. This
flagging will continue to worsen so that, by the third or fourth day, many of the plants are
completely wilted. Disease progression is rapid, hence the name sudden wilt. After five to
six days, all of the vines have melted down and only the immature fruits are left in the
fields. Affected plants appear to lack feeder roots; other roots become slightly misshapen
and thick. Currently it is thought that sudden wilt is caused by a root rot complex
involving Pythium sp., Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium sp. that invade the roots and
further colonize the root tissue. It is thought that stresses such as excess moisture and
drought, prolonged periods of low temperatures (below 50 degrees F) and attack by the
several viruses that commonly affect mellons and/or cucumbers individually or in
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combination weaken plants so that soil-borne pathogens can rapidly colonize the root
systems.
Management
Good soil drainage and thin plant density reduces the incidence of disease.
Destroy diseased plant debris. Soil application of T.viride @ 2.5 kg/ha with 50 kg FYM.
Spray Mancozeb/ Copper Oxychloride at 2.5 g /lit or Carbendazim/ Thiophanate-methyl
at 1 g /lit.
Powdery mildew - Erysiphe cichoracearum
Symptoms
It attacks muskmelons, squash, cucumbers,
gourds, and pumpkins. It is evident as a superficial,
powdery, grayish-white growth on upper leaf surfaces,
petioles, and even main stems of infected plants. Affected
areas turn yellow then brown and die. In dry seasons,
powdery mildew can cause premature leaf drop and
premature fruit ripening. Some early disease results from
spores produced on over wintering cucurbit debris or weeds but the major source of
disease inoculum is windblown spores from southern crops. Warm, dry weather
conditions favor the development of powdery mildew.
Pathogen
The conidia measure 63.8 x 31.9 micron meter, the cleistothecia are globose
which contain 10 – 15 asci. In each ascus, ascospores are two and are oval or sub
cylindrical.
Perithecia developed on left over cucurbit crop in isolated areas serve as primary
inoculum. Wild cucurbits harbour the conidial stage of the fungus and release conidia for
primary infection to the spring or summer sown cucurbits. Conidia are spread by wind ,
thrips and other insects.
Management
Powdery mildew can be controlled by application of Wettable sulphur @ 0.2%.
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Alternaria Blight - Alternaria cucumerina

Symptoms
It usually occurs on foliage
during the middle of the growing
season. The disease starts as small,
yellow spots which enlarge to form
concentric rings on the upper leaf
surfaces. Muskmelons are more
susceptible than other cucurbits to
Alternaria blight.
Often muskmelon vines
will be almost completely defoliated by this disease. The pathoegen also may cause fruit
injury. Alternaria cucumerina may be carried in and on seed and can also overwinter in
diseased plant debris or cucurbit weeds. Spores produced on infected foliage are spread
by wind, rain, people, tools, etc. Plants weakened by lack of proper fertilizer or poor soils
are more likely to be attacked than young, vigorously growing plants. Warm, wet weather
favors development of Alternaria blight.
Pathogen
In water melon isolate, the conidia are 50.5 – 86.4 x 22.8 micron meter. Cross
septa vary from 1 to 9 and longitudinal septa range from 1 to 4.
The fungus can survive as mycelium in refuse from diseased plants at least for
one season and possibly two years in dry conditions. Fungus spores can survive in dry
warm conditions for several months. Conidia are air borne.
Management
To control Alternaria blight, plant disease-free seed in fertile, well-drained soil,
practice crop rotation with unrelated crops, destroy cucurbit weeds. Spray the crop with
Mancozeb @ 2 g /lit.
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Downy mildew - Pseudoperonospora cubensis

Symptoms
It occurs on cucumbers, squash, muskmelons, and pumpkins and less frequently
on watermelons. On cucurbits other than watermelons, small, yellowish areas occur on
the upper leaf surface. Later a more brilliant yellow
color develops with the center of the lesion turning
brown. Usually spots are angular because they are
restricted by leaf veins. When leaves are wet, a downy,
white-gray-light blue fungus growth can be seen on the
underside of individual lesions. On watermelons,
yellow leaf spots may be angular to non-angular and turn brown to black. Spores
produced on the lower leaf surface are readily spread by the wind. Rainy, humid weather
favors the development of downy mildew.
Pathogen
It is an obligate parasite. The mycelium is coenocytic and intercellular with small
ovate or finger like haustoria. One to five sporangiosphores arise through the stomata.
Sporangia are grayish to olivaceous purple, ovoid to ellipsoidal, thin walled with a distal
papilla. Zoospores are 10 – 13 micron meter. Oospores are not common.
The pathogen survives on the diseased plant debris. In warm and humid climates,
transmission from old to younger crops takes place all the year round. Where warm and
dry summers alternate with cooler and wet winters, year round survival is possible on
summer irrigated crops. They may overwinter as thick walled oospores. Sporangia are
disseminated by wind. Cucumber beetles are reported to carry the sporangia.
Disease cycle
Pseudoperonospora cubensis is an obligate parasite requiring living host tissue to
survive. It does not live in debris in the soil. Occasionally, under optimum environmental
conditions, the pathogen may develop thick-walled spores called oospores that are
resistant to low temperatures and dry conditions. This is rare and not considered an
important source of inoculum. Infections in greenhouses likely originate from another
type of spore (sporangia) that enters the facilities from the outside. Local field infections
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are usually established by spores carried by moist air currents blowing northwards from
distant warmer regions where the fungus can over winter on plant material.
Moisture on the leaf surfaces is necessary for infection to occur. When spores
land on a wet leaf surface, they can either germinate and infect through the breathing
pores (stomates) on leaves or release many smaller spores, called zoospores, that swim in
the film of water on leaves during humid or wet conditions, and enter and infect leaves
through stomata. Optimum temperatures for infection range between 16°c and 22°c, with
infection occurring more rapidly at the warmer temperatures. The periods of wetness
needed for infection on cucumber leaves are about 12 hr at 10°c-15°c, 6 hr at 15°c-19°c,
and 2 hr at 20°c. About 4-5 days after infection, new spores are produced and released
into the air, primarily in the morning. Spores can quickly spread within the greenhouse
via moist air currents, contaminated tools, equipment, fingers and clothing.
Management
Spraying with Metalaxyl 500 g or Metalaxyl + Mancozeb 1 kg/ha or Mancozeb 1
kg/ha.
Angular Leaf Spot - Pseudomonas lachrymans
Symptoms
Symptoms of the disease
firsts appear as small, angular,
water-soaked lesions on the leaves.
When moisture is present, bacteria
ooze from the spot in tear like
droplets that dry and form a white
residue on the leaf surface. Water-
soaked areas turn gray or tan, die,
and may tear away leaving irregular holes. Water-soaked spots may also appear on the
fruit and are frequently followed by soft rot bacteria.
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Pathogen
The bacterium is a rod with 1 – 5 polar flagella and forms capsule and a green
fluorescent pigment in culture. The colonies on beef – peptone agar are circular, smooth,
glistening, transparent and white.
Infected seeds may harbour the bacterium. They survive in soil or debris from
diseased plants for two years. They spread by irrigation water.
Management
Angular leaf spot may be controlled by planting disease-free seed. Rotating with
unrelated crops, keeping workers out of fields when foliage is wet and Spray 400ppm
Streptomycin sulphate.
Gourds
Downy mildew: Pseudoperonospora cubensis
Symptoms
Symptoms resembling mosaic viz, pale green
areas separated by dark green areas appear on upper
surface of leaf. During wet season, corresponding lower
surface is covered with faint purplish fungal growth.
The entire leaf dries up quickly.
Pathogen
It is an obligate parasite. The mycelium is coenocytic and intercellular with small
ovate or finger like haustoria. One to five sporangiosphores arise through the stomata.
Sporangia are grayish to olivaceous purple, ovoid to ellipsoidal, thin walled with a distal
papilla. Zoospores are 10 – 13 micron meter. Oospores are not common.
The pathogen survives on the diseased plant debris. In warm and humid climates,
transmission from old to younger crops takes place all the year round. Where warm and
dry summers alternate with cooler and wet winters, year round survival is possible on
summer irrigated crops. They may overwinter as thick walled oospores. Sporangia are
disseminated by wind. Cucumber beetles are reported to carry the sporangia.
84
Management
Use of bed system with wide spacing with good drainage and air movement and
exposure to sun help to check the disease development. Spray with Moncozeb 0.2 % or
Chlorothalonil 0.2% or Difolaton 0.2% or Ridomil MZ 72 0.1% Seed treatment with
Apron SD 35 @ 2 g./kg. followed by spraying with Mancozeb 0.2% is effective in
reducing the disease.
Powdery mildew: Erysiphe cichoracearum
Symptoms
Powdery mildew, is especially prevalent in hot
dry conditions. White or brown mealy growth will be
found on upper and lower surfaces and stems. Under
severe infestations, the plant will be weakened and
stunted.
Pathogen
The conidia measure 63.8 x 31.9 micron meter, the cleistothecia are globose
which contain 10 – 15 asci. In each ascus, ascospores are two and are oval or sub
cylindrical.
Perithecia developed on left over cucurbit crop in isolated areas serve as primary
inoculum. Wild cucurbits harbour the conidial stage of the fungus and release conidia for
primary infection to the spring or summer sown cucurbits. Conidia are spread by wind ,
thrips and other insects.
Management
The disease can be controlled by spraying Wettable sulphur 0.1%.
Mosaic: PRSV/CMV
Symptoms:
A virus distributed world wide, affecting most
cucurbits but rarely affecting watermelon. New
growth is cupped downward, and leaves are severely
mottled with alternating light green and dark green
patches. Plants are stunted, and fruits are covered
85
with bumpy protrusions. Severely affected cucumber fruit may be almost entirely white.
It is transmitted by mechanical inoculation and by insect vectors, Aphis gossypii
and Myzus persicae.
Management
The virus is readily transferred by aphids and survives on a wide variety of plants.
Varietal resistance is the primary management tool, and eliminating weeds and infected
perennial ornamentals that may harbor the virus is critical. Spray with any one of the
systemic insecticide.
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Lecture 13 - Diseases of Crucifers (2 Lectures)

Beet root
Leaf Spot: Cercospora beticola
Symptoms
This is a commonly occurring disease on foliage
of beet roots. High humidity usually favours the spread
of this disease. Numerous small circular spots appear
on the leaf surface. The spots increase in size,
becoming brownish or purplish in color. Individual spots are usually circular but several
may coalesce into larger areas of dead tissue. The spots dry up giving a shot-hole
appearance to the leaves. In case of severe infection spots cover the entire leaf surface
resulting in pre-mature death and dropping of the leaves. As leaves die, the crown
becomes cone-shaped with a rosette of dead leaves at the base. Defoliation occurs
throughout the growing season resulting in reduction in root size and yield. Older leaves
are mostly affected.
Pathogen
Conidia are borne singly at the tip of conidiophores. They are hyaline, elongate,
filiform and multiseptate. Perfect stage is not known.
The pathogen is carried with the seed. The chief overwintering inoculum is in
infected plant debris, in which mycelium remain viable. The fungus can overwinter in
debris from diseased plants, in weed hosts and in beet seeds. The fungus can survive 12 –
18 months. The conidia are disseminated chiefly by air. Insects, splashing water,
cultivation tools, workers and irrigation water also spread of the disease. Moist weather is
essential for sporulation.
Management
Removal and destruction of affected plants and practicing crop rotation are
beneficial in controlling the disease. Spraying with Copper oxychloride (0.3 %) thrice at
an interval of 15 days controls the disease effectively.
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Downy Mildew: Perenospora schachtti

Symptoms
The disease is mostly prevalent during the cooler months.
Symptoms appear as irregular greasy greyish areas on the leaves.
Under moist conditions, these areas expand rapidly and a white
powdery growth appears on the lower surface of the affected
leaves. Affected leaf dries and shrivels quickly. Flower shoots
on infected plants become stunted and distorted. The entire
inflorescence has a compact appearance and excessive leaf
development may give an appearance witches broom. The fungus survives on the crop
residues in the soil and is also carried by the seed.
Pathogen
Peronospora produces sporangia abundantly on the cotyledons and is splashed
from there to other plants. The sporangia germinate by means of a germ tube and not by
zoospores.
Management
Preventive measures such as good field sanitation, crop rotation and use of
resistant cultivars is recommended. Seed treatment with Thiram (2.5-3 g/kg of seed)
protects the emerging seedlings from the disease attack. Spraying with Dithane Z-78 (0.3
%) thrice at an interval of 15 days is also recommended as an effective control measure.
Curly-top virus
Symptoms
External symptoms of curly top virus infection may
appear in leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, or roots of
infected plants. Generally, mottling is absent, but infected
plant parts may become distorted through curling,
twisting, rolling, stunting, etc.
Leaves become thickened and leathery. Curly top virus may impair both yield and
quality of the root of an infected plant. Some of the most pronounced symptoms resulting
from curly top virus attacks are internal and non-observable with the unaided eye. Such
88
internal symptoms consist of death of the food conducting vessels, as well as of extreme
variations from the normal in numbers and sizes of cells composing the plant tissues.
Pathogen
Beet curly top virus particals are 18 – 22 nm in dia. The thermal death point of the
virus is 80˚C and longevity in vitro is 8 days.
The beet leaf hopper is the vector of BCTV. The first generation leafhoppers
migrate out of the range lands to sugar beet fields, carrying the virus with them.
Leafhoppers produce several generations each year, which migrate through susceptible
crops spreading the virus. As the crops mature and dry, the leafhoppers move back into
the over wintering areas in search of the winter host.
Leafhoppers acquire BCTV by feeding on infected host, either the winter host or
crop plants. Leafhoppers are able to acquire the virus during very short feeding times.
The leafhopper retains the ability to transmit BCTV for a month or more after
acquisition. The vector may maintain the virus during its over-wintering period.
Management
Losses can be reduced by the use of resistant varieties; Adopting sanitary
measures including the eradication of susceptible weeds and susceptible volunteer crop
plants from a previous planting; Regulating the time of planting in order to avoid the
main flights of the beet leafhopper; Use of barriers of trap crops and early removal and
destruction of infected plants. Spraying malathion (2ml/litre of water) controls the
population of beet leaf hoppers.
89
Beet Yellows: Virus

Symptoms
This disease is transmitted mainly through aphids. The
important symptoms of the disease include yellow spots on the
young leaves in the initial stages of infection. As the disease
progresses, the leaves exhibit irregular yellow patches alternating
with normal green colour of the leaves. The older leaves of
infected plants become chlorotic, noticeably thickened, leathery
and brittle. The foliage becomes abnormally red or yellow and
often dies.
Pathogen
Beet yellow virus (BYV) and beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV) both can occur
alone or together to result in yellows. Beet mild yellowing virus make the plants more
susceptible to fungal attack (Powdery mildew).
The viruses are spread to healthy plants by aphids. Beet yellow virus persists in
aphids for few hours, but once infected with beet mild yellowing virus and aphids
remains infective for most of its life cycle. The main field vector is Myzus persicae but
other aphids may spread the viruses, eg. The black bean aphid (Aphid fabae) can also
spread BYV but not BMYV.
Management
Control measures include removal of infected plants and weeds from the field.
The disease incidence can be minimized by controlling the population of aphids by
spraying oxydemeton Methyl 25 EC (2ml/litre of water)
Purple Leaf of Beet virus
Symptoms
This viral disease is caused by a strain of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). The
infected plants are stunted and leaves have a tendency to stand erect and come closer,
unlike the healthy plants where the leaves are broad, long and profuse. Leaves of infected
plants show an unusual intense purple colour, white the young emerging leaves show it
prominently. Few leaves develop minute necrotic lesions all over the lamina.
90
Mode of spread
The virus is readily transmissible through sap.
Management
Removal and destruction of virus-infected plants and weed hosts helps in
minimizing disease
Radish
Alternaria Blight :Alternaria raphani
Symptoms
The pathogen affects leaves, stem,
pods and seeds. Symptoms of the disease
first appear on the leaves of seed stem in
the form of small, yellowish, slightly
raised lesions. Lesions appear later on the
stems and seed pods. Infection spreads
rapidly during rainy weather, and the
entire pod may be so infected that the style end becomes black and shriveled. The fungus
penetrates in pod tissues, ultimately infecting the seeds. The infected seed fails to
germinate.
Pathogen
A. raphani conidia are 70 – 115 x 14 – 18 micron in size.
It is seed borne. The fungi subsistas mycelium in the infected plant refuse. They
also survive in susceptible weeds or perennial crops. The conidia are borne abundantly in
moist atmosphere and are disseminated readily by air currents.
Management
Spraying with Mancozeb 0.25 %
91
White Rust: Albugo candida

Symptoms
Disease attacks the leaves and flowering
shoots. Affected flowering shoots get deformed
and bear only malformed flowers. White powdery
substance in patches is observed on the under
surface of the leaves.
Pathogen
Here, Pathogen is an obligate
parasite; Mycelium is intercellular
producing knob shaped haustoria in the host
cells. Each sporangium has 4 to 8
zoospores.
Over wintering may be through oospores in plant debris in the soil and mixed
with seeds and perennial mycelium in weed hosts are primary source of inoculum.
Management
Regular spraying with Mancozeb 0.25 % effectively controls the disease.
92
Cauliflower
Downy Mildew: Peronospora parasitica
Symptoms
Downy mildew can cause much of a field of
milk white cauliflower curds to develop superficial
discolored spots that renders the disease damage heads
unmarketable.
Pathogen
Conidiophores are erect, dichotomously branched; conidia are broadly oval,
ellipsoidal and hyaline.
The fungus penetrates in the soil through oospores in hosts. Secondary spread of
the disease is through water and wind borne conidia.
Management
Seed treatment with Metalaxyl (Apron 6g/kg). Foliar spray with Metalaxyl (Ridomil)
@ 0.4 %
Wire stem: Rhizoctonia solani

Symptoms:
Wire stem can be a seed problem where cauliflower or
other cruciferous transplants are grown crowded together in
unsterilized soil or seedling beds. This disease makes the
seedlings unsuitable for transplanting since many of the
affected plants will die or grow poorly.
Pathogen
The fungus shows branching at right angles near the
distal septum in young hyphae. Sclerotia are irregular, brown
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to black and 5mm in dia. The fungus produces both terminal and intercalary, barrel
shaped chlamydospores. In the perfect stage basidia are produced on the host. They are
barrel shaped, clavate and have four sterigmata. Basidiophores are hyaline and ellipsoid.
Management
Sterilized soil and seedbed drenches with Copper oxychloride 0.25% will give
good disease control
Cabbage
Black leg: Phoma lingam
Symptoms
It is caused by Phoma lingam and occurs in most
regions, specially in areas with rainfall during the growing
period. The fungus is carried by the seed and hence it may
occur from the early stage. Stem of the affected plant when
split vertically, shows severe black discoloration of sap
stream. Whole root system decays from bottom upwards.
Frequently, the affected plants fall over in the field.
Pathogen
Pycnidia are flask shaped, dark coloured and sometimes with papillate ostiole.
Ascocaeps are globose, & Ascospores are biseptate, ellipsoidal.

Phoma lingam can survive for up to four years in seed and three years in infected
crop debris. The pathogen infects seedlings, forms pycnidia, and produces abundant
amounts of spores which exude from the pycnidia in long coils and are splashed to
nearby plants to initiate new infections. The disease is favored by wet, rainy weather.
Management
Seed infection can be prevented by spraying the seed plants with copper
oxychloride or with an organo mercuric compound. Seed treatment with Captan or
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Thiram 4g/kg of seed, followed by seed treatment with Trichoderma viride 4g/kg. Pusa
Drumhead, a cabbage cultivar has been reported to be tolerant under field condition.
Downy mildew: Peronospora parasitica

Symptoms
It may attack young plants and also at the seed
production stage as being commonly observed in northern India
in recent years, when high humidity prevails during seed
production stage. The fungus when attacks the young seedlings,
discoloration occurs and in severe cases the whole plant perishes. Purplish leaf spots or
yellow brown spots on the upper surface of the leaf appear, while fluffy downy fungus
growth is found on the lower surface.
Pathogen
It is an obligate parasite. It has large, finger shaped or clavate and branched
haustoria. Conidiophores are erect and dichotomously branched. Sterigmata are long,
slender and pointed. A single conidium is borne at the tip of each branch. Conidia are
brodly oval, ellipsoidal and hyaline. Oogonium is spherical and hyaline. Oospores are
globose and yellow in color.
The fungus attacks broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish and turnip. The fungus
perennates in the soil through oospores in roots or in old diseased plant parts and as
contaminant with seeds. It also persists in perennial hosts. Secondary spread of the
disease is through water and wind borne conidia.
Management
Seed treatment with Metalaxyl (Apron 6g/kg of seed ). Foliar spraying with
Metalaxyl (Ridomil) 0.4%.
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Root rot: Rhizoctonia solani

Symptoms
Young plants show soft, water soaked lesion on the stem near soil level, the
cotyledons wither and the plant eventually falls over and perishes. When infection occurs
at a later stage of growth, the lower part shows discoloration over a length of several
centimeters, becomes hard and woody, and thinner than usual as the cortical tissue dies
and this phenomenon is known as wire stem.
Pathogen
The fungus shows branching at right angles near the distal septum in young
hyphae. Sclerotia are irregular, brown to black and 5mm in dia. The fungus produces
both terminal and intercalary, barrel shaped chlamydospores. In the perfect stage basidia
are produced on the host. They are barrel shaped, clavate and have four sterigmata.
Basidiophores are hyaline and ellipsoid.
Management
Nursery beds: Soil drenching with Methyl bromide @ 1 kg/10 m 2 and covered with
polythene sheet. Seed treatment with Captan/Thiram 4g/kg, followed by seed treatment
with Trichoderma viride 4g/kg.
Black spot: Alternaria sp.
Symptoms
In older plants, leaves, petioles, and stems small,
brown to black circular to slightly elongated spots
appear. Sometimes the spots join together. It causes
damage to cabbage heads and cauliflower curds after
maturity and during seed production stage.
Pathogen
The fungal hyphae are branched, septate, inter and intracellular. Conidiophores
arise singly or in groups of 2 to 12. They are simple, erect, cylindrical, slightly swollen
at base, septate, pale, smooth and 90 x 5 to 8 mm. Conidia are formed in chains of 20 or
more. They are cylindrical, muriform, tapering slightly towards the apex and the basal
cell is rounded.
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Pathogens are seed borne or the conidia are borne abundantly in moist atmosphere
and are disseminated readily by air currents.
Management
First foliar spraying with Tridemorph 0.1% followed by spraying with Mancozeb
0.25% a month interval.
Club root: Plasmodiophora brassicae
Symptoms
Stunting and yellowing of plants. Leaves become
yellowish and wilt on hot days. Club like swelling of root
and root lets. Club root is particularly prevalent on soils with
a pH below 7, whereas it has been observed that the disease
is often less serious on heavy soils and on soils containing
little organic matter.
Pathogen
Primary zoospores are anteriorly by flagellate which is of whiplash type.
Secondary zoospores are smaller than primary zoospores.
Fungus is soil borne and survival in the crop refuses in the form of minute resting
spores for at least 10 years. Contaminated soil can be caused by wheel of implements,
carts, tools and on the feet of human being.
Disease Cycle
P. brassicae is capable of surviving in the soil for 7-10 years or longer as resting
spores. The resting spores of the fungus can be spread from field to field by infested soil,
contaminated water supplies, infected transplants, infested soil on farm machinery, and
even by roving animals such as cattle. When soil conditions dictate, the resting spores of
the pathogen germinate to produce zoospores, which are able to "swim" by means of
flagella to infect susceptible plant root hairs. The germination of resting spores requires
moist, acid soil and can occur over a wide temperature range of 12-27°C. Disease
development is favored by high soil moisture and soil temperatures between 18-25°C.
Although clubroot has been found in soils exhibiting a wide pH range from 4.5-8.1, the
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disease is primarily associated with acid soils. Within the infected plant roots, the
organism develops rapidly, causing an increase in the number and size of cells, which
results in "clubbing." During the development of the organism in the plant, new
zoospores are produced; these are capable of infecting the same plant or adjacent plants
and, thus, repeating the cycle. Eventually, resting spores are formed within the diseased
plant tissue, and these are released into the soil when the plant roots disintegrate.
Management
Soil fumigation with Methly bromide 1kg/10m 2 followed by covering with
plastic film. Seed treatment with Captan/Thiram 4g/kg, followed by T.viride 4g/kg.
Application of lime 2.5 t/ha. Soil drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
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Powdery mildew: Erysiphe polygoni

Symptoms
Initially, white tufts of mould arise on the
upper surface of the leaves and later run together
and the entire leaf becomes covered with greyish
white mycelium.
Pathogen
Conidiophores are septate. The cleistothecia are sharp and globose.

The disease spread through water and wind borne conidia.
Management
Spary inorganic sulphur 0.25% or Dinocap 0.05%.
Bacterial diseases
Black rot: Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris
Symptoms
The infection of the foliage results in
yellow ‘V’ shaped spots arising along the
margin which extend in the direction of the
midrib. These spots are associated with a
typical black discoloration of the veins. The
infection extends through the xylem to the
stalk and the vascular bundles turn black. In severe infection, the whole leaf shows
discoloration and eventually falls off.
Pathogen
It is gram negative, short rod with rounded ends and non capsulated. It occurs
singly, rarely in pairs and motile with single polar flagellum.
Black rot is spread rapidly during warm, humid weather, with an optimal temperature
range of 27- 30°C at 80- 100% humidity. Once in the soil, the bacteria are spread by
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splashing rain and wind. Bacteria enter plants through wounds or natural openings at the
leaf margins called hydathodes
Management
Seed treatment with Aureomycin 1000ppm for 30 min is effective in killing both
the internally and externally seed-borne pathogen. Drenching the nursery soil with
formaldehyde 0.5% helps in checking the disease. Application of bleaching powder at
10.0 to 12.5 kg/ha controls the disease.
Turnip
Alternaria Leaf Spot: Alternaria spp.
Symptoms
The pathogen affects leaves, stem, pods and seeds.
Symptoms of the disease first appear on the leaves of seed stem
in the form of small, yellowish, slightly raised lesions. Lesions
appear later on the stems and seed pods. Infection spreads
rapidly during rainy weather, and the entire pod may be so
infected that the styler end becomes black and shrivelled. The
fungus penetrates in pod tissues, ultimately infecting the seeds. The infected seed fails to
germinate.
Pathogen
The fungal hyphae are branched, septate, inter and intracellular. Conidiophores
arise singly or in groups of 2 to 12. They are simple, erect, cylindrical, slightly swollen
at base, septate, pale, smooth and 90 x 5 to 8 mm. Conidia are formed in chains of 20 or
more. They are cylindrical, muriform, tapering slightly towards the apex and the basal
cell is rounded.
Pathogens are seed borne or the conidia are borne abundantly in moist atmosphere
and are disseminated readily by air currents.
Management
Spraying with Mancozeb 0.25 %
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Carrot
Bacterial blight: Xanthomonas campestris pv.carotae
Symptoms
The bacterium causes irregular brown spot on leaves, dark brown
streaks on petioles and a blighting of floral parts. Lesions on foliage
begin as small yellow spots. Soon the centre of the spots they become
dry and brittle with an irregular halo.
Pathogen
The bacterium is rod shaped and polar flagellum.
The bacterium is borne in and on seed from diseased seed plants. They also live in
soil. Rain or irrigation water splashes bacteria from cotyledons or soil to young seedlings.
Insects also carry the bacterium mechanically. Under rainy warm conditions, epidermis
occur rapidly.
Disease Cycle
The carrot leaf blight pathogens survive on or in the seed and on diseased crop
debris in the soil. The fungal pathogens produce spores that become airborne and are
spread predominantly by wind. The bacterial pathogen is spread primarily by wind-driven
rain or by irrigation water. Moisture is essential for infection by all blight organisms
because bacterial cells and fungal spores require surface moisture and warm temperatures
to germinate. The higher the temperature, the shorter the wet period required for
infection. When temperatures are warm or when moisture in the form of rain, dew, or
irrigation water is persistent, the threat of infection and rapid spread of leaf blight
organisms is high.
Management
Spraying early with Copper oxychloride 0.25 %.
Bacterial soft rot: Erwinia carotovora sp. Carotovora

Symptoms
Cells become water soaked, the middle
lamella is destroyed and the cells collapse into a
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soft, watery slimy mass.The rotted tissues are grey to brown. they may be accomplished
by a foul odour. The decay develops most rapidly along the core of the root.
Pathogen
It is large, gram negative and motile with large peritrichous flagella.
Soil is the principal source of primary inoculum for stored carrots. Soil that
contains debris from plants that were diseased the previous year is the most important
inoculum source. The pathogen lives and multiplies within the soil. If soft rot occurs on
carrot roots in fields, the inoculum source can be traced back to carrot foliage from which
it moves directly down to the roots. Harvest bruises, freezing injury, fungus invasion and
insect wounds offer penetration sites.
Management
Dipping in a solution of 1:500 of sodium hypochlorite before storage or transits
reduce the disease.
Cercospora leaf spot: Cercospora carotae
Symptom
The first symptom usually appears as elongated lesions
along the edge of the leaf segment. Non-marginal lesions
appear as small, pin-point chlorotic spots which shows
develop into a necrotic center surrounded by a diffuse
chlorotic border. Coalescence of spots is common. linear dark lesions develop o n the
petiole, sometimes girdling the latter and killing the leaf.
Pathogen
Conidiophores are interminate in growth and show scars where conidia attached.
The conidia are slightly obclavate, hyaline and many celled.
The fungus subsists on seed and diseased crop residues. Stromatic masses in
diseased tissues are the main source of survival from season to season. They produce
conidia which are transmitted by wind or water.
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Management
Seed treatment with Captan 4g/kg. Spraying at 10 days interval with Copper
oxychloride or Mancozeb.
Sclerotinia Rot or White mold: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Symptom:
Carrots may show little or no damage incidence in the field but following washing
and storage white mold outbreaks often occur on the stored roots. Only a small
percentage of the roots may be initially
infected but the fungus mycelium can
move very rapidly from carrot to carrot.
In a matter of weeks the whole storage
container may become a mass of white
mold and black sclerotia surrounding
each and every carrot.
Mycelia growth and sclerotia (red arrow)
Management
Frequent inspection in storage, low temperatures, aeration and washing in a final
water of 2-5 % diluted bleach solution may give adequate control (1 part bleach, (sodium
hypochlorite) to 20 parts water.
Asparagus
Crown Rot & Seedling Blight: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.
asparagi
Symptoms
Crown rot coupled with winter injury can reduce newly
seeded and established asparagus plantings by up to 50% or
more in a year. Infected seedlings will exhibit stunting, yellowing and wilting of the
foliage as the primary roots are rotted off. Established plants will produce spindly spears
in the spring. Shoots become dwarfed, wilted and brown in color. Later in the season one
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or more shoots per crown appear stunted, turn yellow, then can wilt and die. Roots are
also rotted and discolored.
Management
The disease is seed- and soil-borne. New plantings should be established on soil
(well-drained, sand-loam soils are preferred) where asparagus has not been previously
grown for at least five years. Use strong healthy plants (1 year crowns) to start a
plantation and to ensure good plant health by following good planting and growing
procedures such as fertilization, insect and weed control and avoid over harvesting.
Purple Spot: Stemphyllium vesicarium
Symptoms
This disease can render the spears unmarketable by the presence
of numerous purplish lesions or spots. The lesions are superficial,
slightly sunken and purple. There can also be larger spots that are brown
in the middle with a purple margin. Often these lesions will be more
prevalent on one side of the spear that the other. On the asparagus fern
there will be light brown lesions, up to 15mm long, with dark purple
edges. In severe cases, defoliation and dieback can happen. Repeated
defoliation can lead to a reduction in yield.
Management
Remove or bury crop residue in the fall to help limit

infection.
Rust: Puccinia asparagi
Symptoms
Red or brown elongated spots appear on the shoots spears
or needles of asparagus. Successive years if infestation reduces
root vitality resulting in poor shoot development and death.
Management
Plant in areas with good air circulation and irrigate during
the day so plants can dry out before evening.
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Lecture 14 - Diseases of Tomato
Damping off: Pythium aphanidermatum

Symptoms
Damping off of tomato occurs in two
stages, i.e. the pre-emergence and the post-
emergence phase. In the pre-emergence the phase
the seedlings are killed just before they reach the
soil surface. The young radical and the plumule
are killed and there is complete rotting of the
seedlings. The post-emergence phase is characterized by the infection of the young,
juvenile tissues of the collar at the ground level. The infected tissues become soft and
water soaked. The seedlings topple over or collapse.
All the causal organisms are soil inhabitants and they build up in soil with the
available hosts. Generally these pathogens have wide host range.
Management
Used raised seed bed. Provide light, but frequent irrigation for better drainage.
Drench with Copper oxychloride 0.2% or Bordeaux mixture 1%. Seed treatment with
fungal culture Trichoderma viride (4 g/kg of seed) or Thiram (3 g/kg of seed) is the only
preventive measure to control the pre-emergence damping off. Spray 0.2% Metalaxyl
when there is cloudy weather
Fusarium Wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici
Symptom
The first symptom of the disease is clearing
of the veinlets and chlorosis of the leaves. The
younger leaves may die in succession and the
entire may wilt and die in a course of few days.
Soon the petiole and the leaves droop and wilt.
In young plants, symptom consists of clearing
of vein let and dropping of petioles. In field,
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yellowing of the lower leaves first and affected leaflets wilt and die. The symptoms
continue in subsequent leaves. At later stage, browning of vascular system occurs. Plants
become stunted and die.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate and hyaline. They produce macro and micro conidia. Micro
conidia are one celled, hyaline, ovoid to ellipsoid. Two races of pathogen have been
identified.
The fungus is seed borne and soil borne. The fungus survives in the soil as
chlamydospores or as saprophytically growing mycelium in infected crop debris for more
than 10 years. One of the chief methods of its distribution is by seedlings raised in
infected soil. Wind borne spores, surface drainage water and agricultural implements also
help in distribution of the pathogen from field to field.
Management
The affected plants should be removed and destroyed. Spot drench with
Carbendazim (0.1%). Crop rotation with a non-host crop such as cereals.
Early Blight : Alternaria solani

Symptoms
This is a common disease of tomato occurring on the
foliage at any stage of the growth. The fungus attacks the
foliage causing characteristic leaf spots and blight. Early blight
is first observed on the plants as small, black lesions mostly on
the older foliage. Spots enlarge, and by the time they are one-
fourth inch in diameter or larger, concentric rings in a bull's eye
pattern can be seen in the center of the diseased area. Tissue surrounding the spots may
turn yellow.
If high temperature and humidity occur at this time, much of the foliage is killed.
Lesions on the stems are similar to those on leaves, sometimes girdling the plant if they
occur near the soil line. Transplants showing infection by the late blight fungus often die
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when set in the field. The fungus also infects the fruit, generally through the calyx or
stem attachment. Lesions attain considerable size, usually involving nearly the entire
fruit; concentric rings are also present on the fruit.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate, branched, light brown which become darker with age.
Conidiophores are dark colored. Conidia are beaked, muriform, dark colored and borne
singly.
The pathogen is spread by wind and rain splashes. Under dry conditions it
survives in infected plant debris in the soil for upto three years and is also seed borne.
Management
Removal and destruction of crop debris. Practicing crop rotation helps to
minimize the disease incidence. Spray the crop with Mancozeb 0.2 % for effective
disease control.
Septoria Leaf Spot:Septoria lycopersici

Symptom
The plant may be attacked at any stage of its growth. The
disease is characterized by numerous, small, grey, circular leaf
spots having dark border.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate, branched, hyaline when young and darkens with age.
Pycnidia are erumpent. Pycnidiospores are filiform, hyaline and septate.
The pathogen is spread by wind and rain splashes, insects and on the hands and
clothings of tomato pickers. It survives from one season to the next on infested crop
debris and also on solanaceous weeds. The fungus also survives on or in the seed. Seed
stocks contaminated with spores produce infected seedlings.
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Management
Removal and destruction of the affected plant parts. Seed treatment with Thiram
or Dithane M-45 (2 g/kg seed) is useful in checking seed borne infection. In the field
spraying with Mancozeb 0.2 % effectively controls the disease.
Bacterial wilt: Burkholderia solanacearum

Symptom
This is one of the most serious diseases of tomato crop.
Relatively high soil moisture and soil temperature favour
disease development. Characteristic symptoms of bacterial
wilt are the rapid and complete wilting of normal grown up
plants. Lower leaves may drop before wilting. Pathogen is
mostly confined to vascular region; in advantage cases, it may
invade the cortex and pith and cause yellow brown discolouration of tissues. Infected
plant parts when cut and immersed in clear water, a white streak of bacterial ooze is seen
coming out from cut ends.
Pathogen
The bacterium is gram negative, rod shaped often occurs in pairs, motile with 1 –
4 flagella. The optimum temperature for growth is 30 - 37˚C.
The bacterium survives in soil and they spread through irrigation water and by
transplanting of infected seedlings. The bacterium survives for 3 years in fallow and for a
unlimited period in cultivated land. Chilli, egg plant, grount nut, potato and tobacco are
alternative hostswhich help it to survive between tomato crops.
Management
Avoid damage to seedling while transplanting. Apply bleaching powder @
10kg/ha. Crop rotations, viz., cowpea-maize-cabbage, okra-cowpea-maize, maize-
cowpea-maize and finger millet-egg plant are reported effective in reducing bacterial wilt
of tomato.
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Bacterial Leaf Spot : Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria

Symptom
Moist weather and splattering rains are
conducive to disease development. Most outbreaks
of the disease can be traced back to heavy
rainstorms that occur in the area. Infected leaves
show small, brown, water soaked, circular spots
surrounded with yellowish halo. On older plants the
leaflet infection is mostly on older leaves and may cause serious defoliation.
The most striking symptoms are on the green fruit. Small, water-soaked spots first
appear which later become raised and enlarge until they are one-eighth to one-fourth inch
in diameter. Centers of these lesions become irregular, light brown and slightly sunken
with a rough, scabby surface. Ripe fruits are not susceptible to the disease. Surface of the
seed becomes contaminated with the bacteria, remaining on the seed surface for some
time. The organism survives in alternate hosts, on volunteer tomato plants and on
infected plant debris.
Pathogen
The bacterium is gram negative, short rod shaped and has a single, polar
flagellum. Capsules are formed.
The pathogen survives in the diseased plant debris, volunteer plants. It is seed
borne. The bacterium enters through stomata or injuries and lenticels. Secondary spread
through rain splashes. Disease spreads to new areas through infected seeds and diseased
transplants.
Management
Disease-free seed and seedlings should always be used and the crop should be
rotated with non-host crops so as to avoid last years crop residue. Seed treatment with
mercuric chloride (1:1000) is also recommended for control of disease. Spraying with a
combination of copper and organic
fungicides in a regular preventative spray
program at 5 to 10 day intervals or Spraying
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with Agrimycin-100 (100 ppm) thrice at 10 days intervals effectively controls the
disease.
Mosaic: Tomato mosaic virus (TMV)

Symptom
The disease is characterized by light and day green mottling on the leaves often
accompanied by wilting of young leaves in sunny days when plants first become infected.
The leaflets of affected leaves are usually distorted, puckered and smaller than normal.
Sometimes the leaflets become indented resulting in "fern leaf" symptoms. The affected
plant appears stunted, pale green and spindly. The virus is spread by contact with clothes,
hand of working labour, touching of infected plants with healthy ones, plant debris and
implements.
Pathogen
Virus paricles are rod shaped, not enveloped, usually straight and thermal
inactivation point is 85 - 90˚C.
The virus is seed borne and upto 94% of seeds may contain the virus. The virus
infection occurs during transplanting It is readily transmissible. Many solanaceous plants
are susceptible to tomato mosaic virus. The virus is spread easily by man and implements
in cultural operations or by animals and by leaf contact.
Management
Seeds from disease free healthy plants should be selected for sowing. Soaking of
the seeds in a solution of Trisodium Phosphate (90 g/litre of water) a day before sowing
helps to reduce the disease incidence. The seeds should be thoroughly rinsed and dried in
shade. In the nursery all the infected plants should be removed carefully and destroyed.
Seedlings with infected with the viral disease should not be used for transplanting. Crop
rotation with crops other than tobacco, potato, chilli, capsicum, brinjal, etc. should be
undertaken.
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Leaf curl: Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV)

Symptom
Leaf curl disease is characterized by severe stunting
of the plants with downward rolling and crinkling of
the leaves. The newly emerging leaves exhibit slight
yellow colouration and later they also show curling
symptoms. Older leaves become leathery and brittle.
The nodes and internodes are significantly reduced in
size. The infected plants look pale and produce more
lateral branches giving a bushy appearance. The infected plants remain stunted.
Pathogen
The virus particles are 80nm in diameter.
It is neither seed nor sap transmissible. But seeds from fresh fruits having
infection may have the virus on the seed coat. The virus is transmitted by white fly,
Bemisia tabaci and grafting. Even a single viruliferous insect is able to transmit the virus.
Management
Keep yellow sticky traps @ 12/ha to monitor the white fly. Raise barrier crops-
cereals around the field. Removal of weed host. Protected nursery in net house or green
house. Spray Imidachloprid 0.05 % or Dimethoate 0.05% @ 15, 25, 45 days after
transplanting to control vector.
Spotted wilt: Tomato spotted wilt disease (TSWV), Groundnut bud necrosis virus
Symptom
It causes streaking of the
leaves, stems and fruits.
Numerous small, dark, circular
spots appear on younger leaves.
Leaves may have a bronzed
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appearance and later turn dark brown and wither. Fruits show numerous spots about one-
half inch in diameter with concentric, circular markings. On ripe fruit, these markings are
alternate bands of red and yellow.
Pathogen
It is isometric particles of 70 – 90nm diameter. Thermal inactivation point is
40˚C.
The spotted wilt virus is transmitted through thrips (Thrips tabaci, Frankliniella
schultzi and F. occidentalis).
Management
The affected plants should be removed and destroyed. Alternate or collateral hosts
harboring the virus have to be removed. Raise barrier crops – Sorghum, Maize, Bajra 5-6
rows around the field before planting tomato. Spray Imidachloprid 0.05% or any systemic
insecticide to control the vector.
Gray Mould: Botrytis cinerea

Symptoms
Lesion - a watery area with a light brown or tan-colored
central region. Converted into a soft, watery mass within
a few days. Skin is broken, the grayish mycelium and
spore clusters develop within a few hours. Halo forms
around the point of entry -small whitish rings
approximately - develop on young green fruit. "Ghost spots" are usually single rings but
may be solid white spots; the center of which contain dark-brown specks.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate and branched, hyaline but become dark in color upon age.
Conidiophores are branched and bear conidia at the apex. Conidia are continuous or one
septate, oblong and dark.
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High relative humidities are necessary for prolific spore production. Optimum
temperatures for infection are between 65° and 75° F (18° and 24° C), and infection can
occur within 5 hours. High temperatures, above 82° F (28° C), suppress growth and spore
production.
Management
Spraying with Bordeaux mixture 1.0 % or mancozeb 0.2% is helpful in reducing
the disease. Resistant varieties like Vetomold may be grown in area’s where disease
appears in an endemic form. Eurocross varities like Antincold, LMRI and Sapsford’s
No.1 are resistant.
Early Blight : Alternaria solani

Symptoms
The fruit become infected-through the calyx or stem attachment, either in the
green or ripe stage. Concentric ring present on the fruit surface. Appear leathery and may
be covered by a velvety mass of black spores. Infected fruit frequently drop, and losses of
50% of the immature fruit may occur.
Pathogen
Mycelium is septate, branched, light brown which become darker with age.
Conidiophores are dark coloured. Conidia are beaked, muriform, dark colored and borne
singly. In each conidium 5 – 10transverse and a few longitudinal septa are present.
The pathogen is spread by wind and rain splashes. Under dry conditions it
survives in infected plant debris in the soil for upto three years and is also seed borne.
Management
Disease free seeds should be used for sowing. Seeds soaked in thiram 0.2% at
30˚C for 24h gives better protection. Seed treatment with thiram 2g/ kg gives good
protection against seed borne infection. Three sprayings with difolatan 0.2% or mancozeb
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at fortnightly interval prevent the spread of the disease. Infected plant debris should be
removed. Three year rotation with non solanaceous crop is recommended.
Bacterial Soft Rot and Hollow Stem: Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora
Symptoms
Fruit -soft watery decay of fruit, starting at one or more points, as very small
spots. Enlarge-very rapidly until the entire fruit -soft watery mass. Pathogen liquefies
fruit tissue by breaking down the pectate "glue" that holds plant cells together Leakage-
internal collapse resembling a shriveled water balloon. Bacteria -single-celled - rapidly
multiply and spread-in water. During wet weather and High humidity, Heavy rain fall or
irrigation. Warm temperatures in the 73 - 95 F. range
Phoma Rot: Phoma destructive
Symptoms
Distinguished from other rots by the black color of
this spot .Small, black, pimple-like eruptions. Specks are the
pycnidia or fruiting bodies of the fungus. Moderate
temperature and high humidity.
Pathogen
The ascospores are irregularly arranged in two series. They are ellipsoid with
obtuse ends, hyaline and guttulate. Pycnidia are solitary to gregarious and dark brown.
Conidia typically biguttulate, straight and irregular.
Mode of spread
The pathogen is seed borne.
Management
Seed treatment with organomercurial and spraying the crop with zineb 0.2% gives
adequate protection against the disease.
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Lecture 15 - Diseases of Beans
Beans
Anthracnose: Colletotrichum lindemuthianum
Symptoms
Bean pods with black, sunken lesions or reddish-
brown blotches most likely have anthracnose, a fungal
disease caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. Black,
sunken lesions about ½ inch in diameter develop on stems,
pods and seedling leaves (cotyledons) but are most
prominent on pods. A salmon colored ooze on lesions and
the veins on lower leaf surfaces turns black. On lima beans,
symptoms are sooty- appearing spots on leaves and pods. Anthracnose develops primarily
during the spring and fall when the weather is cool and wet, and not during our hot, dry
summers. Lima beans are particularly susceptible.
Pathogen
Mycelium is branched, septate , hyaline at first and dark colored with age.
Acervuli develop beneath the cuticle. Conidia are borne on short conidiophores. Setae are
few, brown and septate. Conidia are one celled, hyaline and cylindrical with rounded
ends or with one end slightly pointed.
The fungus is seed borne and can survive from one season to another in debris
from infected plant as well as in diseased seed. The fungus can remain alivein seeds even
after the seeds are dead.
Disease Cycle
The fungus survives the winter primarily in bean seed. Survival in soil or in plant
residue varies greatly, depending on environmental conditions. Moisture is required for
development, spread, and germination of the spores as well as for infection of the plant.
A prolonged wet period is necessary for the fungus to establish its infection. The time
from infection to visible symptoms ranges from 4 to 9 days, depending on the
temperature, bean variety, and age of the tissues. The fungal spores are easily carried to
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healthy plants in wind-blown rain and by people and machinery moving through
contaminated fields when the plants are wet. Frequent rainy weather increases disease
occurrence and severity.
Management
Prevent this disease by using certified disease-free seed for planting and removing
all plant debris after harvest. Anthracnose can survive in the soil for two years on plant
debris or be brought to the garden on infected seeds. Do not plant bean seeds in an area
that had disease for two to three years. Avoid overhead watering and avoid splashing soil
onto the plants when watering. Fungicide sprays of fixed copper are the only
recommended chemical that can be used on lima beans for anthracnose control.
Bean Root Rots: Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium, Fusarium solani

Symptoms
Many fungi, including Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium
species and Fusarium solani, form species phaseoli, live in the
soil and will infect young seedlings or the seeds of bean plants.
Seedlings fail to emerge after planting when the seeds rot in the
soil or young seedlings may be stunted. Plants are usually
affected slightly above or below the soil line with a watery soft
rot. Roots of the plant usually die and leaves turn yellow.
Management
Do not plant beans in low, poorly drained areas. Plant on raised beds. Plant after
the soil has warmed to 69° F at a 4 inch depth. Reduce disease buildup in the soil by
rotating locations in the garden where you plant bean or pea with other vegetables. Try to
avoid injury to the root system, which often occurs during planting, through cultivation or
due to a large population of nematodes in the soil. Remove crop debris immediately after
harvest. Plant seeds previously treated with captan. Apply chemicals according to
directions on the label.
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Rust: Uromyces appendiculaters

Symptoms
Bean rust is mainly a disease of bean leaves that causes
rust-colored spots to form on the lower leaf surfaces. Severely
infected leaves turn yellow, wilt, and then drop off of the plant.
Stems and pods may also be infected. This disease is caused by
the fungus Uromyces appendiculaters. It affects most types of
beans under humid conditions.
Pathogen
The fungus is autoecious, thus living its entire life on
bean and long cycled rust. Uredia are brown and powdery. Uredospores are globose or
ellipsoid. Spore wall is golden brown. Telia are formed on uredia and are dark brown or
black.Teliospores are globose or broadly ellipsoid, pedicellate and one celled. Pycnia
appear on the yellowish spots on the upper surface of the leaves.
The rust fungus is not seed borne, but can be disseminated locally by farm tools,
insects, animals or other moving bodies. However wind is the principal agent for long
distance spore dissemination.
Management
The fungus survives the winter in the soil, on plant debris and even on poles used
the previous year. In gardens where rust has been severe, crop rotation is important. As
plants begin to bloom, sulfur or chlorothalonil can be sprayed weekly on snap and green
beans only. Do not apply chlorothalonil to lima (butter) beans. Wait seven days between
spraying and harvest when using chlorothalonil on beans, and 14 days on Southern peas.
Apply chemicals according to directions on the label.
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Bacterial Blight: Xanthomonas campestris pv phaseoli

Symptoms
There are two widespread bacterial blights that affect most types of beans,
common blight (Xanthomonas campestris pv phaseoli) and halo blight (Pseudomonas
syringae pathovar phaseolicola). The stems,
leaves and fruits of bean plants can be infected
by either disease. Rain and damp weather favor
disease development. Halo blight occurs
primarily when temperatures are cool. Light
greenish-yellow circles that look like halos form
around a brown spot or lesion on the plant. With
age, the lesions may join together as the leaf turns yellow and slowly dies. Stem lesions
appear as long, reddish spots. Leaves infected with common blight turn brown and drop
quickly from the plant. Common blight infected pods do not have the greenish-yellow
halo around the infected spot or lesion. Common blight occurs mostly during warm
weather.
Pathogen
The bacteria is gram negative rod, non capsulated and motile with single polar
flagellum.
The pathogen is seed borne and the disease spread through wind splashed rains
from diseased to healthy plants. In new area disease spreads through infected seeds.
Management
Both of these diseases come from infected seeds. The diseases spread readily
when moisture is present. Avoid overhead watering and do not touch plants when the
foliage is wet. The bacteria can live in the soil for two years on plant debris. Do not plant
beans in the same location more frequently than every third year. Buy new seeds each
year. Fixed copper can be applied at ten day intervals. Wait one day between spraying
and harvest.
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Mosaic Viruses
Symptoms
Mosaic viruses in which the leaves show sharply
defined patches of unusual coloration may occur in
beans. The causal agents of these symptoms may be
nutrient imbalance or herbicide injury or result from
infection by one of several viruses.
Pathogen
Cucumber mosaic virus
The virus occurs worldwide in many agricultural crops, ornamentals and weeds.
Many of these plants serve as reservoirs for season to season survival of the virus. The
virus is transmitted mechanically with ease as well as in seed and by aphids, especially
Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii.
Management
There are no recommended chemical controls for these problems. Many of these
viruses are transmitted by aphids and are also transmitted through seed. For this reason it
is unwise to save seeds from year to year.
Powdery Mildew: Erysiphe polygonii

Symptoms
Leaves are covered with patches of a whitish to grayish powdery growth. This
disease is caused by the fungus Erysiphe polygonii. New growth appears contorted,
curled or dwarfed and may turn yellow and drop. Pods are dwarfed and distorted. This is
mostly a problem on fall beans. Powdery mildew is spread by wind and rain.
Pathogen
The mildew pathogen develops mycelial threads between a few cells near the
epidermis and grows root like structures, haustoria that slowly withdraw food from the
living plant tissue. After the fungus covers the upper and sometimes the lower leaf
surface with fungus threads, the threads can produce many short multicellular fungus
stalks, each of which bears a few spores resembling beads in a chain.
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The fungus is capable of attacking different leguminous hosts and survives in
conidial or perithecial form. The conidia are easily carried by wind, rain and insects. The
spores are short lived and usually die in about 2 days if they do not reach a suitable host.
When humididity is high and the leaf surface is dry, the spores germinate readily in few
hours and the germ tubes enter the plant. Some strains produce sexual perithecia with asci
which can remain alive from one season to the next.
Management
Avoid crowding plants by allowing adequate space between rows. On Southern
peas, sulfur can be used. When the disease is first noticed, sprays or dusts of sulfur are
recommended for use on snap and green beans only. Do not use sulfur on young plants.
Apply chemicals according to directions on the label.
Cercospora Leaf Spot: Cercospora sp.

Symptoms
This fungal disease, caused by Cercospora species,
occurs primarily on the lower leaves of plants as irregular,
tan spots. Severe infection causes excessive leaf drop and
stunting of the plant. Infection is worse during periods of
extended rainfall, high humidity and temperatures between 75 to 85° F.
Management
Use disease-free seed for planting. Remove all debris in the garden after harvest.
Do not plant beans in the same area for two to three years. There are no resistant varieties
or recommended chemicals for this disease in the home garden.
Watery Soft Rot: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Symptoms
Small, soft, watery spots that are caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
occur on the stems, leaves and pods of beans. These spots enlarge rapidly under cool,
moist conditions, and run together, girdling the stem. Infected pods turn into a soft,
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watery mass, before dying out and turning brown. Soon infected areas are covered by a
white fungal growth.
Management
Improve air circulation between plants and rows. Too much fertilizer favors heavy
vine growth, creating areas for the disease to develop. There are no recommended
chemical controls for the home garden.
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Lecture 16 - Diseases of Onion & Garlic
Basal Rot: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cepae

Symptoms
The leaves turn yellow and then dry up slowly. The affected
plant shows drying of leaf tip downwards. The entire plant shows
complete drying of the foliage. The bulb of the affected plant shows
soft rotting and the roots get rotted. There will be a whitish mouldy
growth on the scale. This disease can begin in the field and continue
on in storage.
Pathogen
The fungus produces many chlamydospores which are thick walled resting spores
and microconidia which are one celled and thin walled.
The pathogen is soil borne and the optimum temperatures for development are 28
- 32˚C. Infection occurs through the root either directly or through wounds.
Management
Growers must follow crop rotation and harvested bulbs must be thoroughly cured
to reduce potential storage losses. Onions are very sensitive to low soil copper levels. In
order to optimize crop production and disease susceptibility, additional soil copper
fertility may be needed especially on mucky and sandy soils. Soil drenching with Copper
oxychloride 0.25 %.
Downy mildew: Peronospora destructor

Symptoms
White downy growth appears on the surface of the leaves. Finally
the infected leaves are dried up.
Pathogen
The sporangiophores are non septate, long and swollen at the base.Sporangia are
pyriform to fusiform, attached to the sterigmata by their pointed end. These sporangia
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germinate by one or two germ tubes. The coenocytic mycelium is intercellular with
filamentous haustoria. Oogonia are formed in the intercellular spaces.
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 carry over of the fungus from one season
to the next. The main sources of perennation are the 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.
Disease Cycle
Dormant Period
It is believed that the DM fungus over winters primarily as mycelium in infected
onions that remain in onion fields or in nearby cull piles. The pathogen also can over
winter in perennial varieties of onion in home gardens. It is suspected that spores of the
fungus that persist in the soil may directly infect the roots of young onion plants. These
plants become systemically infected and serve as focal points for infection in commercial
onion fields.
Primary Spread
When favorable environmental conditions occur, the over wintering fungal
mycelium in systemically infected plants produces spores. After dissemination through
the air, these spores infect the leaves of onion plants in commercial fields. Spores are
formed at night when high humidity and temperatures of 4–25˚C occur, with an optimal
temperature of 13˚C. The spores mature early in the morning and are disseminated during
the day. Spores remain viable for about 4 days. Germination occurs in free water from 1–
28˚C with an optimal range of 7–16˚C. Rain is not needed for infection if heavy dews
occur continuously during the night and morning hours.
Secondary Spread
The mycelium of DM in leaves of infected onion plants in commercial bulb
production fields produces a new crop of spores called conidia in cycles of approximately
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11–15 days. As the upper portions of a leaf are killed, the fungus infects the next lower
part of the leaf in each successive cycle of spore formation. Such cycles can be repeated
several times until the leaf may be completely killed. These repeated cycles of spore
formation can result in severe and continued epidemics of DM if disease favorable
environmental conditions persist.
Management
Three spraying with Mancozeb 0.2 % is effective. Spraying should be started 20
days after transplanting and repeated at 10-12 days interval.
Leaf Blight (Blast): Botrytis spp.

Symptoms
Botrytis is the major disease of onions in cool
climate areas. Light infections do not affect yields but
heavy infections causing major yield reductions can occur.
Hundreds of white specks are seen on the foliage. The
disease then spreads very rapidly and tops of the entire crop
may be killed.
Pathogen
Botrytis is characterized by its conidiophores which present an appearance of
grapebunch. The conidiophores are tall, erect and branches irregularly or dichotomously.
They are dark and septate. The terminal cells swell to produce sporogenous ampullae. On
each ampulla numerous conidia arise simultaneously on short denticles. The conidia are
hyaline or tinted, aseptate and globose to ovoid.
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Disease cycle
Dormant Period
The Botrytis leaf blight pathogen over winters as sclerotic (compact mass of fungi
capable of surviving unfavorable environmental conditions). These are produced on
infected onion bulbs left in cull piles, on mother bulbs stored for seed production, and on
bulbs left in the field. The latter results in volunteer onion plants the following spring.
Sclerotic also over winter directly in the soil and on leaves that persist as debris in
commercial onion fields. The sclerotia are formed on infected leaves and the necks and
upper portions of bulbs before or after harvest. Infected leaves may be raked or washed
together and persist as leaf tissue debris in which many sclerotic can be found. Sclerotic
in the soil result from the disintegration and decay of infected leaves on which sclerotic
were formed.
Primary Spread
Sclerotic on onion bulbs in cull piles, on mother bulbs in seed fields, and on
volunteer onion plants in commercial onion fields produce conidia (spores) that infect
leaves on sprouted bulbs and onion plants in commercial fields. Sclerotic on the surface
of the soil in commercial onion fields also produce conidia that can infect the leaves of
nearby onion plants. Sclerotia on leaf debris produce conidia and also ascospores (sexual
spores) that infect leaves of onion plants. Because ascospores are the result of sexual
reproduction, they may serve as the source of new strains of the pathogen that are tolerant
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to fungicides used to control Botrytis leaf blight. The ability of sclerotic to germinate and
produce conidia repeatedly (up to four times) results in the production of conidia over an
extended period of time. Sclerotic on the bulbs of volunteer onions produce conidia that
infect either leaves of the same plant or those of onion plants in commercial fields. In the
absence of seed fields and cull piles, it is suspected that sclerotic in the soil and sclerotic
on volunteer plants provide the primary source of inoculum for outbreaks of Botrytis leaf
blight in commercial onion fields.
Secondary Spread
The dense, tangled growth of leaves that develop from bulbs in cull piles provides
conditions (little air movement and high relative humidity) that are favorable for
subsequent production of spores on dead leaf tissue. This results in secondary cycles of
infection in the cull piles. Similar secondary cycles occur slightly later in seed fields.
Conidia are blown from the seed fields and cull piles to commercial bulb production
fields and the disease cycles continue. Leaves of onion plants in commercial fields can be
infected by conidia that develop from sclerotic in the soil.
These infected leaves also serve as secondary sources of inoculum once conidia
are produced on the dead leaf tissue. Leaves of volunteer onion plants infected by conidia
produced by sclerotic on the same plant also serve as a secondary source of inoculum.
Leaves of onion plants grown for commercial production are repeatedly infected, and
these serve as the source of inoculum for infecting new leaves throughout the growing
season.
Management
Bulb treatment with Captan /Thiram 0.25%. Spraying of Maneb or Mancozeb or
Chlorothalonil. Fungicides may be applied every 5 - 7 days for disease control.
Pythium root rot: Pythium aphanidermatum, P. debaryanum and P. ultimum
Symptoms
This disease causes seed rotting, pre-emergence damping off. The disease appears
in circular patches in the field here and there. All the affected plants get killed. if the
disease occurs prior to seed germination, it causes gappiness. The seeds or seed materials
are killed before their establishment. The disease also occurs after establishment of the
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crop i.e after 15 to 30 days of sowing or planting. This stage is called post-emergence
damping off. If the disease occurs very late, it causes stunting of the plant and rotting of
the roots.
Pathogen
Pythium aphanidermatum
Epidemiology
The fungus is mainly soil borne. The disease is favoured by ill drained conditions
in the field due to stagnation of water. High soil moisture or continuous rain may favour
rapid development of the disease.
Management
Seed treatment with Thiram or Captan @ 4g/kg. The bulbs may be dipped in
Thiram solution 0.25%. After sprouting, the root region of the plants along the rows
should be given a soil drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
Smut: Urocystis cepulae
Symptoms
Black smut sori are seen at the base of the leaves and leaf
surface. Black powdery mass is seen after rupturing of sorus
wall.
Pathogen
The sori of urocystis cepulae contain dark coloured
and powdery spore masses. The spores are found in
permentant balls. Each ball consists of an enveloping cortex of tined, sterile, bladder like
cells with one or two central dark coloured thick walled chlamydospores. The spores
germinate by means of short promycelium while still in the ball.
The fungus remains viable for 15 years in infected soil by means of spore balls. It
persists in soil as a saprophyte. Onion bulbs and onion transplants are important means of
widespread distribution of the fungus. Implements also help in the spread. Wind borne
soil and surface drainage water are important means of local dissemination.
Management
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Seed treatment with Thiram or Captan @ 4g/kg. The bulbs may be dipped in
Thiram solution 0.25%.
White Rot: Sclerotium cepivorum

Symptoms
The leaves become yellow and die-back and when
the plants are pulled up, roots are found to be rotten and
the base of the bulb covered with a white or grey fungal
growth. Later, numerous small black spherical sclerotia are produced. The bulb of the
onion completely rots.
The disease is worst in warm summers or in the case of winter onions during
warm spell in autumn or spring. Sclerotia persist in soil for eight years. The primary
inoculum consists of spherical small black sclerotia produced in infested fissure of Allium
spp. during previous years. Scelerotia are transported from field to field by flood water.
Disease Cycle
The sclerotia that form on the decaying host will lay dormant until a host plant’s
root exudates stimulate germination, specifically root exudates that are unique to Allium
spp. Cool weather is also needed for germination of sclerotia and hyphal growth. The
soil moisture levels optimal for host root growth are also optimal for sclerotia
germination. Mycelium will grow through the soil, and once it encounters a host root the
fungus will form appresoria, structures whose purpose is to aid in the attachment and
penetration of the host.
Mycelium can grow outwards from the roots of one plant to the roots of a
neighboring plant, and it is by this method that the pathogen can move down a planted
row. Sclerotia are formed on the decaying host tissue, and once the host tissue completely
decays the sclerotia are free in soil. If the bulbs survive long enought to be placed into
storage, the pathogen may continue to decay the bulbs if there is high humidity and low
temperatures. If the bulbs are stored dry then the disease may not spread but bulbs
infected in the field will continue to decay.
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Management
Crop rotation and clean seed are the only effective control. Heavy manuring with
organic manures reduces the disease in the crop. Seed dressing with Benomyl,
Carbendazim or Thiophanate-methyl (100 to 150 g/kg seed) gives effective control.
Purple blotch: Alternaria porri
Symptoms
This disease occurs mainly at the top
of the leaves, the infection starts with
whitish minute dots on the leaves with
irregular chlorotic areas on tip portion of
the leaves. Circular to oblong concentric
black velvety rings appear in the
chlorotic area. The lesions develop
towards the base of the leaf. The spots
join together and spread quickly to the
entire leaf area. The leaves gradually die
from the tip downwards.
Pathogen
Alternaria porri mycelium is branched, coloured and septate. Conidiophores arise
singly or in groups. They are straight or flexuous, sometimes geniculate.
Management
Disease free bulb should be selected for planting. Seeds should be treated with
Thiram @ 4 g/kg seed. The field should be well drained. Three foliar sprayings with
Copper oxychloride 0.25 % or Chlorothalonil 0.2 % or Zineb 0.2 % or Mancozeb 0.2 %.
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Neck Rot :Botrytis allii, B. squamosa and B. cinerea

Symptoms
Symptoms usually appear after harvest,
although infections originate in the field.
Greatest epidemic development occurs when
cool (50° to 75°F), moist weather prevails for
some days before or during harvest. If the
weather remains dry during harvest and curing, losses found in storage are usually small.
Symptoms are first seen as a softening of the tissues around the neck of the bulb, or more
rarely, at a wound. A definite margin separates diseased and healthy tissues. Infected
tissues become sunken, soft, and appear brownish to grayish in color, as if they had been
cooked. These symptoms progress gradually to the base of the bulb. Then the entire bulb
may become mummified. Hard, irregularly shaped kernel-like bodies, sclerotia, may form
between scales, especially at the neck region.
The fungi that cause neck rot survive the winter on previously infected onion
debris in the soil, in cull piles and refuse dumps, and in trash in storage sheds.
Blue mould rot- Penicillium sp

Symptoms
Blue mold generally appears during harvesting and
storage. Initial symptoms include water soaked areas
on the outer surface of scales. Later, a green to blue green, powdery mold may develop
on the surface of the lesions. Infected areas of fleshy scales are tan or gray when cut. In
advanced stages, infected bulbs may disintegrate into a watery rot. Many species of
Penicillium can cause blue mold. These fungi are common saprophytes on plant debris
and senescent plant tissue.
Pathogen
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Penicillium produces an enormous number of spores on a broom like

conidiophore. Some of these spores are in the air at all times. They can be carried to long
distances by wind. In moist air they germinate readily. Symptoms develop slowly on the
bulbs.
Invasion of onion bulbs and garlic is usually through wounds, bruises, or uncured
neck tissue. Once inside the bulb, the mycelium grows through the fleshy scales,
eventually sporulating profusely on the surface of lesions and wounds. Optimum
conditions include moderate temperatures 70° to 77°F (21° to 25°C) and high relative
humidity.
Black mould- Aspergillus niger

Symptoms
Infection usually is through neck tissues as foliage dies
down at maturity. Infected bulbs are discolored black around
the neck, and affected scales shrivel. Masses of powdery black
spores generally are arranged as streaks along veins on and
between outer dry scales. Infection may advance from the neck
into the central fleshy scales. In advanced disease stages, the entire bulb surface turns
black, and secondary bacterial soft rot may make the bulb soft and mushy. No external
symptoms may be found with some bulbs.
Management
Seeds should be treated with Thiram @ 4 g/kg seed. The field should be well
drained. Three foliar sprayings with Copper oxychloride 0.25 % or Chlorothalonil 0.2 %
or Zineb 0.2 % or Mancozeb 0.2 %. Growers must follow crop rotation and harvested
bulbs must be thoroughly cured to reduce potential storage losses. Soil drenching with
Copper oxychloride 0.25 %
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Lecture 17 - Diseases of Coconut and Oil palm
Coconut
Bud rot
Phytophthora palmivora
Symptoms
Palms of all ages are susceptible to the disease, but it is more severe in young
palms of 5-20 years. The first indication of the diseases is seen on the
central shoot of the tree (spindle). The heart leaf shows discolouration
which becomes brown instead of yellowish brown. This is followed by
drooping and breading off the heart leaf. With the progress of diseases,
more number of leaves get affected with loss of lusture and turn pale
yellow. The entire base of the crown may be rotten emitting a foul
smell. The central shoot comes off easily on slight pulling.
The leaves fall in succession starting from the top of the crown.
The leaf falling and bunch shedding continue until a few outer leaves
are left unaffected. But within few months the infection leads to
complete shedding of leaves, within subsequent wilt and death of the tree.
Pathogen
The fungus produces intercellur, non septate, hyaline mycelium. Sporangiophores
are hyaline and simple or branched occasionally. The sporangiophores are hyaline, Thin
walled, pear shaped with a prominent papillae. Sporangia releases reniform, biflagellate
zoospores upon germination. The fungus also produces thick walled, spherical oospores.
In addition, thick walled, yellowish brown chlamydospores are also produced.
Favorable Conditions
High rainfall, high atmospheric humidity (above 90 per cent), low temperature
(18-20˚C) and wounds caused by tappper and Rhinoceros beetles.
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The fungus remains as dormant mycelium in the infected tissues and also survives
as chamydospores and oospores in crop residues in the soil. The diseases spread is mainly
through air-borne sporangia and zoospores. Rainfall also helps in spreading the diseases.
Insects and tappers also help in the spread of the inoculum from diseased trees.
Mangement
Remove and burn badly affected trees which are beyond recovery. If diseases is
detected in early stage, remove the infected tissue thoroughly by cutting the infected
spindle along with two leaves surrounding it and protect the cut portion with Bordeauex
paste. Give prophylactic spray with 1% Bordeaux mixture to all the healthy plams in the
vicinity of diseases one and also before onset of monsoon rains.
Basal Stem Rot (Thanjavur wilt / Bole rot)
Ganoderma lucidum
Symptoms
The trees in the age group of 10-30 years are easily
attacked by the pathogen. The fungus is soil-borne and
infects the roots. The most usual symptoms are yellowing,
withering and drooping of the outer fronds which remain
hanging around the trunk for several months before
shedding. The younger leaves remain green for sometime and
later turn yellowish brown. The new fronds produced become
successively smaller and yellowish in colour which do not
unfold properly. Soft rot occurs in the bud with a bad newly
formed leaves wither away. More often the spindle is blown
off leaving the decapitated stem.
The wilting plants also show bleeding patches near the base of the trunk. A brown
gummy liquid oozes out from the cracks in the tree which slowly result in the death of
outer tissues. As the infection advances, fresh bleeding patches appear above the old
once, up to 3-5 meters height. The decay of the basal portion occurs slowly and tree
succumbs to the diseases in 2-3 years. In the advanced stages of infection, the fungus
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produces fruiting body (Bracket) along the side of the basal trunk. The roots of wilting
trees show discoloration and severe rotting.
Pathogen
The fungus produces a semi circular basidiocarp (bracket), which is attached to
the tree with a stalk. The bracket is very big about 10-12 cm diameter and woody. The
upper surface is tough, shining, light to dark brown or almost black with concentric
furrows. The lower surface is white and soft with numerous minute pores. These pores
represent the opening of the hymenial tubes, which are lined with basidia and basidio-
spores. Basidiospores are oval, brown and thick walled.
Favourable Conditions
Trees grown in sandy loam and sandy soils, water logging during severe rains,
low soil moisture content during summer months and damages caused by weevils and
beetles.
The fungus is soil-borne and survives in the soil for long time. The primary
infection is through basidiospores in the soil, which attack roots. The irrigation water and
rain water also help in the spread of the fungus.
Management
Remove and burn severely infected trees which are beyond recovery. Isolate the
diseased trees by digging a trench all around to check further spread. Irrigate the palms at
least once in a fortnight during summer months. Apply heavy doses of farm yard manure
or compost for green manure at 50 Kg/tree/year along with 5 kg of neem cake. Drench
the soil near the tree with 40 litres of 1 per cent Bordeaux mixture at quarterly interval for
thrice a year and repeat after 2-3 years. Apply Aureofunginsol 2g+Copper sulphate 1g
in100 ml of water or Tridemorph 2ml/100 ml of water through stem injection or root
feeding at quarterly intervals for one year.
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Stem bleeding
Theilaviopsis paradoxa
(Ceratocystis paradoxa)
Symptoms
The characteristic symptom is the exudation of reddish
brown fluid from the cracks in the stem. The fluid trickles
down to several feet on the stem and the exudates dries up
forming a black crust. The tissues below the cracks turn yellow
and decay. As the disease progresses, more area underneath the
bark gets decayed and the bleeding patch extends further up. The vigour of the tree is
affected and nut yield is reduced. The tree is not killed out right but become
uneconomical to maintain. In extreme cases, the trees may become barren and die.
Pathogen
The fungus produces two type of conidia. Macroconidia are produced on
conidiophores singly or in chains. They are spherical and dark green in colour.
Microcondinia are produced endogenously inside the long cells ruptures when mature
and release the microcondia in long chain. Microconidia (endoconidia) are thinwalled,
hyaline and cylindrical in form. C. paradoxa also produces hyaline perithecia with a long
neck base is ornamented with knobbed appendages and ostiole is covered by numerous
pale-brown, erect, tapering hyphae. Asci are clavate and ascospores are hyaline ad
ellipsoid.
Copious irrigation or rainfall followed by drought, shallow loamy soils or laterite
soil with clay or rock layer beneath the soil, poor maintenance of gardens and damages
by Diocalandra and Xyleborus beetles.
The fungus survies in the infected plant debris and soil as perithecia and conidia.
The spread is mainly through wind-borne conidia. The irrigation and rain water also help
in the disease spread. The beetles which feed on the diseased plants also help in
transmission.
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Management
Maintain the gardens properly with adequate fertilization. Scoop out the diseased
tissue with a portion of healthy tissues, burn the exposed tissue and apply molten coal tar
followed by swabbing Bordeaux paste. When stem bleeding is observed in association
with Ganoderma, follow root feeding or stem injection technique. Irrigate during the
summer months.
Root wilt disease (Kerala wilt)

Phytoplasma
Symptoms
Palms of all ages are found infected
by the pathogen. The important diagnostic
symptom is “flaccidity” of leaves i.e. they
curve abnormally inwards, resembling the
ribs of mammals. Yellowing of leaves and
marginal necrosis of leaflets are also
conspicuously. Wilting of leaves from
middle whorl to outward and shedding of
buttons and immature nuts occur. The size of mature nuts are small with thin kernel. The
crown size also gets reduced in advanced stages and trees remain unproductive.
The roots show rotting symptoms, which rot from tip backwards. The older roots
show cracks and blotches and cortex turns brownish black resulting in drying in flakes.
The root wilt affected palms become highly susceptible to leaf rot disease caused by
Bipolaris halodes. Occurrence of leaf rot independent of root wilt is very rare. The first
symptom is blackening and shrivelling of the distal ends of leaflets in the central spindle
and in some of the young leaves. Later the affected portion breaks off in bits giving the
leaf a fan-like
appearance. This rotting hastens the decline of the palms.
Pathogen
The disease is caused by Phytoplsama which is frequently identified in the
phloem tissues of infected trees.
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Favourable Conditons
Sandy and sandy loam soils, severe floods and abundance of lace wing bug
Stephanitis typia.
The severely infected plants serve as primary sources of inoculum. The MLO is
transmitted by the lace wing bug Stephanitis typicuc from diseased to healthy palms.
Management
Remove all severely infected and uneconomic palms and replant with healthy
hybrid seedling like CDO X WCT or WCT X CDO. Remove all the juvenile (young)
palms showing symptoms irrespective of its intensity. Spray the leaves with 0.01 per cent
Monocroptophos. Apply balanced doses of fertilizers (1kg Urea, 1.7kg Super phosphate,
1.7kg Muriate of potash and 3kg Magnesium sulphate per palm per year in two splits, 1/3
during April-May and 2/3 during September-October for rainfed palms and in 4 splits
during January, April, July and October for irrigated palms).
Apply 50kg of farmyard manure/palm/year. Grow green manure crops n basin and
incorporate at the time of fertilizer application. Control the leaf rot disease by spraying
1%Bordeaux mixture or 0.3% Mancozeb. Irrigate the palm during summer months at the
rate of 600-900 litres of water/basin once in 4 to 6 days. Avoid water logging by
providing proper drainage during rainy seasons. Raise crops in the inter space and
maintain the milch cows to recycle the manure and other organic wastes to increase the
nut yield in affected gardens.
Grey leaf blight

Pestalotia palmarum
Symptoms
Initially symptoms develop only on the outer whorl of leaves, especially in older
leaves. Minute yellow spots surrounded by a greyish margin appear on the leaflets.
Gradually, the centre of the spots turns to greyish white with dark brown margins with a
yellow halo. Many spots coalesce into irregular grey necrotic patches. Complete drying
and shrivelling of the leaf blade occur giving a blighted or burnt appearance. Large
number of globose or ovoid black acervuli appear on the upper surface of leaves.
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Pathogen
The fungus produces conidia inside the acervuli. The acervuli are black in colour,
cushion shaped and sub epidermal and break open to expose conidia and black sterile
structures, setae. The conidiophores are hyaline, short and simple, bear conidia at the tip
singly. The conidia are five celled, the middle three cells are dark coloured, while the end
cells are hyaline with 3-5 slender, elongated appendages at the apex of the spore.
Ill drained soils, soils with potash deficiency, continuous rainy weather for 4-5
days and strong winds.
The fungus remains in the infected plant debris in soil. The disease is spread
through wind-borne conidia
Management
Remove and burn the infected, fallen leaves periodically. Apply heavy doses of
potash. Improve the drainage conditions of the soil. Spray the crown with 0.25 per cent
copper oxychloride or 1 per cent Bordeaux mixture before the onset of rains.
Oil palm
Anthracnose: Botryodiplodia palmarum
Symptoms
This disease occurs in the nursery. It is recognized by regular or irregular brown
to black leaf blotches surrounded by yellow haloes, which develop along the margin,
centre or tip of the leaves. It causes heavy seedling loss.
Management
The disease can be controlled by spraying Mancozeb or Captan at the rate of 200
g/100 litres of water. Copper fungicides should not be used because of the extreme
susceptibility of oil palm seedlings to copper burn (scorching).
Diseases of Mulberry and Betel vine
138
Lecture 18 - Diseases of Mulberry
Mulberry
Root rot- Macrophomina phaseolina
Symptoms
Sudden wilting, withering of leaves and affected
plants fail to sprout after pruning and dry up completely.
Affected plants can be pulled out easily. Rotting of primary
and secondary roots, rotten roots turn black and roots contain
large number of black sclerotia. Decay of root bark.
Management
Uprooting the infected plant and the stump and root portions are burnt.
Application of Neem cake @ 1 tonne/ha in four split doses. Application of antagonist
Bacillus subtilis @ 25 g/plant. Application of antagonist fungus Trichoderma viride @ 25
g/plant. Drenching the soil with carbendazim @ 10 ml of 1% concentration per plant
Stem canker- Lasiodiplodia (Botryodiplodia) theobromae
Symptoms
Nursery
Failure of cuttings to sprout. Sudden withering and death of sprouts.
Discolouration and drying of stems and buds above the soil. Rotting and peeling of bark
on stem below the soil surface. Black mycelial threads seen below infected bark and
black eruptions on the bark of the infected stem portion.
Grown-up plants
Greyish brown discolouration of the bark at the cut ends of the stem. Delayed
sprouting, death of buds and sprouts, black eruptions on the bark in the infected region
and death of plants. The above symptoms can be observed a few days after the plants are
pruned.
139
Management
Planting in winter months is avoided. Pre-treatment of cuttings with carbendazim
@ 4g/l for a period of 12 h. After pruning, the cut surfaces of the stems should be dressed
with a spray/smear of carbendazim @ 4g/l.
Leaf rust - Cerotelium fici
Symptoms
Presence of small, irregular reddish to rusty brown spot on older leaves on lower
surface. Leaves become yellowish and wither off prematurely.
Management
Providing wider spacing. Spraying carbendazim @ 500-625 g/ha
Leaf spot- Cercospora moricola
Symptoms
Brownish circular or irregular leaf spots in the initial stage, enlarge, coalesce and
form shot holes in later stage. Severely affected leaves become yellowish and fall off
prematurely.
Management
Spraying carbendazim @ 500-625 g/ha
Powdery mildew - Phyllactinia corylea
Symptoms
Initially, white powdery patches on lower surface of leaves
are seen which later cover the entire leaf surface. Later turn black
to brown in colour. Infected leaves turn yellow and fall off. High
humidity (>70%) and low temperature (24-26˚C) favour outbreak
of the disease.
Pathogen
The fungus produces ectophytic mycelium. It gets nutrition from the host through
haustoria sent into the mesophyll tissues. Conidiophores are erect, long and hyaline,
which cut off oval shaped conidia at their tips. Cleistothecia are flat, sphere shaped,
papillate and bear asci inside.
140

The fungus spreads through conidia or ascospores.
Management
Providing wider spacing. Growing resistant varieties like MR1, MR2 and China
White Spraying Carbendazim @ 500-625 g/ha. Releasing yellow lady bird beetles and
white spotted lady bird beetles, since they feed on the mildew fungus.
Bacterial blight- Pseudomonas mori
Symptoms
Numerous irregular water soaked patches on the lower surface of leaf. Leaves
become curled, rotten and turn brownish black in colour. Black longitudinal lesions are
seen on the bark of young shoots. Yellowing and defoliation.
Management
Uprooting and burning. Spraying 0.1 per cent of Streptomycin or Streptocyclin
(safe period is 15 days).
Root knot nematode- Meloidogyne incognita
Symptoms
Growth and yield of plants affected. Stunted plants, marginal necrosis and
yellowing of leaves, necrotic lesions on the root surface. Formation of characteristic
knots or galls on the roots. Wilting of plants.
Management
Deep ploughing in summer. Applying neem cake @ 1000 kg/ha. Applying
Carbofuran 3G @ 30 kg/ha/year in four split doses (safe period is 50 days).
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Lecture 19 - Diseases of Betelvine
Foot rot or Leaf rot or wilt - Phytophthora parasitica var. piperina

Symptoms
The fungus attacks the vines at all stages of crop growth. Initial symptom is
sudden wilting of vines. The affected vines show yellowing and drooping of the leaves
from tip downwards. The leaves become dull due to loss of lustre. The affected plant dry
up completely within 2 or 3 days. The succulent stem turns brown, brittle and dry as
stick. The lower portion of the stem near the soil level shows irregular black lesions upto
second or third internode. The diseased intermodes undergo ‘wet rot’ and the tissue
become soft, slimy with a fishy odour. The roots of the affected plants also show
extensive discolouration and rotting.
In the young crop, the fungus produces ‘Leaf rot’ symptoms. The leaves near the
soil region show circular to irregular water soaked spots, often starting from the edge.
The spots rapidly enlarge and cover a part or whole of the leaf blade, which shows
rotting. The leaves turn brown to dark brown or dirty black and defoliation occurs. The
leaves with in 2-3 feet height of the vine show the leaf rot symptom.
Pathogen
The fungus produces hyaline, non septate mycelium. The sporangia are
thinwalled, hyaline ovate or learn shaped with papillae, measuring 30-40 X 15-20um.
Zoospores, which are liberated from the sporangia, are kidney-shaped and biflagellate.
Oospores are dark brown, globose and thick walled.
September to February months with high atmospheric humidity and low night
temperature (23˚C and below) are highly favorable.
The fungus is soil-borne and survives as facultative saprophyte in the infected
plant debris and in the soil as oospores and chlamydospores. The fungus mainly spreads
from field to field through irrigation water. The secondary spread is through sporangia
and zoospores disseminated by splash irrigation and wind-borne rains.
Management
142
Select were matured (more one year old) seed vines from fields. Soak the seed
vines in Streptocycline 500 ppm + Bordeaux mixture 0.05 per cent solution for 30
minutes. Apply 150 kg N/ha/year through neemcake (75 kg N) and 100 kg P2 O5 through
Super phosphate and 50 kg Muriate of potash in 3 split doses, first at 15 days after lifting
the vines and second and third dose at 40-45 days interval. Apply shade dried Neem leaf
or Calotrophis leaves at 2t/ha in 2 split doses and cover it with mud. Collect and destory
the infected vines and leaves. Regulate irrigation during the cold weather period. Drench
the soil with 0.5 per cent Bordeaux mixture at 500 ml/hill during the cool weather period
(October-January) at monthly intervals.
Sclerotium foot rot and wilt - Sclerotium rolfsii

Symptoms
The vines of all stages are susceptible to the disease. The infection usually starts
at the collar region. Whitish cottony mycelium is seen on the stem and roots. The stem
portion shows rotting of tissues at the point of attack and the plants show dropping of
leaves and withering finally dry up.
Pathogen
The fungus produces white to grey mycelium which have profuse branching.
Sclerotia are spherical smooth and shiny. Brown coloured mustard like sclerotia are seen
on the infected stem and soil near the vines.
May-July months with high temperature of 28-30˚C
The fungus is soil-borne and grow saprophytically in the dead plant tissue in soil.
The fungus also survives as sclerotia in the infected plant debris in the soil for more than
one year. The sclerotia spreads through irrigation water. The pathogen also survives on
other hosts like chilli groundnut and brinjal.
143
Management
Remove the affected vines along with the roots and burn. Apply more of soil
amendments like neemcake, mustard cake or farmyard manure. Drench the soil with 0.1
per cent Carbendazim.
Powdery mildew- Oidium piperis

Symptoms
The disease affects the crop at all stages of its growth and infection is mainly
noticed on tender shoots and leaves. Whitish powdery growth is seen on both the surface
of leaves which later enlarges and cover the major portion of the leaves. The affected
tender shoots and buds are deformed and shrivelled and margins of leaves tum inwards.
When the disease advances, the whitish growth turns to brown blotches and in servere
cases, the leaves turn yellow and defoliation occurs.
Pathogen
The fungus is ectophytic and produces profusely branched, hyaline and septate
hyphae on the surface of the leaves. The conidiophores are short, club shaped, non-
septate and hyaline and produce conidia in chains. Conidia are single celled, hyaline
elliptical, and borne over short conidiophore.
Dry humid weather during the months of May-July.
The fungus survives in the infected crop residues in the soil. The primary
infection is from soil-borne inoculum. The secondary spread in the field is through wind-
borne conidia and carried through splash irrigation.
Management
Collect and burn the infected leaves. Spray 0.2 per cent Wettable Sulphur or dust
Sulphur at 25 kg/ha after plucking the leaves.
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Anthracnose- Colletotrichum piperis

Symptoms
The leaves show small black circular spots initially which later enlarge and
develop to a size of 2 cm in size, become concentric and covered with a yellow halo. The
affected leaves turn pale yellow and dry up with large black dots in the centre of the
spots. Black, circular lesions may develop on the stem, enlarge rapidly and gridle the
stem resulting in withering and drying.
Pathogen
The fungus produces large number of acervuli containing short, hyaline
conidiophores and block coloured setae. The conidia are single celled, hyaline and
falcate.
The fungus remain in the infected plant debris in the field. The primary infection
is through the soil-borne conidia, spread by rainwater splash or splash irrigation. The
secondary spread in the field is aided by air-borne conidia.
Management
Collect and destory the infected vines and leaves. Spray 0.2 per cent Ziram or 0.5
per cent Bordeaux mixture after plucking the leaves.
Bacterial leaf spot or stem rot - Xanthomonas campestris p.v. betlicola

Symptoms
The disease initiates as tiny, brown water soaked specks on the leaves surrounded
by a yellow halo, which enlarge later and become necrotic and angular, mostly confined
to interveinal areas. The infected leaves loose their lustre, turn yellow, show withering
and fall off. Under wet weather condition, infection spreads to stem showing small
elongated black lesions on lower nodes and inter nodes. These lesions increase in size in
both directions and blackening may spreads to the length of several nodes. The stem
145
tissues become weak and break easily at the infected nodes and the vine show withering
and drying.
Pathogen
Bacterium is a small rod with a single polar flagellum. It is Gram negative and
non-spore forming.
Cloudy weather with intermittent rains and high relative humidity. Two to 3 years
old vines are highly susceptible.
The bacteria which are viable in the infected vines and leaves serve as a primary
source of inoculum. Rain splashes and splash irrigation water help in the secondary
spread.
Management
Remove and burn the infected vines and stubbles in the field. Regulate irrigation
during cold weather season. Spray Streptocycline 400 ppm+Bordeaux mixture 0.25 per
cent at 20 days intervals, after plucking the leaves.
146
Lecture 20 - Diseases of Coffee
Coffee
Coffee leaf rust - Hemileia vastatrix
Symptoms
Small pale-yellow spots on the lower surface of
infected leaves, orange-yellow spore mass appears,
defoliation and die-back. Results in serious crop loss
and causes fluctuations in production.
Pathogen
The mycelium is intercellular and sends haustoria into the cells. The mycelium
sends out erumpent stalks through stomata which bear the uredospores. The uredospores
are reniform or orange segment like in shape. The convex side of the spores are
echinulated and the lower side is smooth and measure 26 – 40 x 20 – 30 micron meter.
The telial stage succeeds the uredial stage in the later stage.
Disease Cycle
147

One lesion produces 1.5 lakhs uredospores which are spread by rain splash and
wind. Many animals (insects, birds etc.,) can also carry spores over long distances.
Infection requires the presence of water for uredospores germination and only occurs
through stomata, which are on the underside of the leaf.
Management
Three applications of 0.5% Bordeaux mixture for susceptible varieties.
Black rot (koleroga roxia)

Economic Importance
In India it occurs in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In south India the disease is
severe only in those areas growing with C. arabica. It is influenced by south west
monsoon period from June – Sep.
Symptoms
Blackening and rotting of affected leaves, young twigs and berries. Affected
leaves get detached and hang down by means of slimy fungal strands. Defoliation and
berry drop occur.
Pathogen
The hyphae are hyaline when young and turn light brown with age. Fructifications
arise with numerous basidia and basidiospores. Basidia are simple, oval rounded or
pyriform. Basidiospores are hyaline, elongated, rounded at one end, slightly concave on
one side. At a later stage the fungus forms sclerotia or hyphal clumps by repeated
branching of short cells.
The pathogen penetrates the leaves through the stomata on the lower side and the
hyphae invade intercellularly in the palisade tissue. The fungus mostly spreads by contact
from leaf to leaf through the vegetative mycelium. The pathogen spread through infected
plant debris. Mycelium lies in twigs throughout year.
148
Management
Remove and burn affected parts. Apply 1% Bordeaux mixture close to the south
westerly monsoon if needed. Centre the coffee bushes, regulate the overhead canopy.
Berry blotch
Symptoms
Necrotic spots on the exposed surface of green berries enlarge and cover the
major portion. Fruit skin shrivels and sticks fast.
Pathogen
Cercospora coffeicola conidiophores are short, fasiculate and olivaceous. Conidia
are subcylindrical, hyaline, 2-3 septate and 40-60x 3.5 micron meter in size.
Mode of spread and Survival
The pathogen is seed borne and conidia are spread by wind.
Management
Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture during june and late august, maintain medium shade
overhead.
Damping off / Collar rot – Rhizocotonia solani

Symptoms
It caused pre emergence damping off and post
emergence damping off. In post emergence damping off
collar region near soil level is infected leading the rotting of
tissue and death of seedlings.
The disease is soil borne
Management
Soil drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
Die back or Anthranose – Collectorichum coffeanum
149
Symptoms
On leaves circular to grayish spots of 2-3 m in dia. On berries small dark coloured
sunken spots are farmed. Beans become brown. Die back also occurs.
The fungus occurs as a saprophyte on dead tissue on the outer layer of the bark,
which provides the major source of inoculum. It release large numbers of water borne
conidia during the wet season. Conidia are spread by rain water percolating through the
canopy and rain splash can disperse conidia between trees. Long distance dispersal
occurs primarily by the carriage of conidia on passive vectors such as birds, machinery
etc.
Management
Spraying Mancozeb 0.25%
150
Lecture 21 - Diseases of Tea
Blister blight – Exobasidium vexans

Symptoms
Small pale or pinkish circular spots appear on leaves
and attain a size of 2.5 cm diameter. The spots in the upper
surface of the leaf becomes light brown in color and
depressed while in under surface of leaf it bulges farming a
blister like swelling. Lower budget portion is covered with a
white powdery growth of fungus. When many spots
coursers, curling of leaves will occur. When it spreads to young succulent stems affected
portion are withered. The leaf yield is reduced vigor of the tea bush is affected.
Pathogen
The mycelium is confined to the blistered areas on the leaves. They are septae and
collect in bundles below the lower epidermis. Later by rupturing the epidermisa
continuous layer of vertical hyphae are projected on the surface of spot. The fungus
produces two kind of spores viz.,the conidia and basidiospores. The conidia are most
abundant, borne singly at the tip of long stalks. Basidia are formed on the surface in large
number but never form a continuous hymenium.
The fungus completes its life cycle in 11-28 days and several generations of
spores are produced in a season. It produces conidia and basidiospores in the same blister.
Spores are air borne. The perpetuation of the fungus appears to be form the pre existing
infected bushes.
Management
Removal and destruction of the affected portion. Spraying with Copper oxychloride
0.25 % in effective. Spray with 210 g of COC + 210 g nickel chloride/ha at 5 days
interval from June – September and 11 days interval in October – November gives
economic control. Spraying with systemic insecticides like Atemi 50 SL at 400 ml/ha (or)
Baycor (300 EC) at 340 ml/ha a weekly interval is also effective. Chlorotalonil, Bayleton,
151
tridemorph is also effective. Tridemorph at 340 and 60 ml/ha is satin factory under mild
and moderate rainfall condition.
Black rot
Symptoms
Small dark brown irregular spots appear on leaf. They coalesce to produce a dark
brown patch which eventually covers the whole leaf and drop off. Before the leaf turns
black the lower surface assumes a white powdery appearance.
Pathogen
Corticium invisum and C. theae
Basidiospores carried by workers. The disease develops rapidly when temperature
is high and air is humid. At the beginning of rainfall they germinate and produce hyphae
which start fresh infection.
Epidemiology
Occur in nursery shaded with Crotalaria. Basidiospores germinate only in wet
weather or when leaves are covered with dew.
Management
Prune in December end, remove the prunings immediately, burn after drying.
Collect all dead and dried leaves. Spray a copper fungide in third week of April.
Red rust: Cephaleurus mycoidea

Symptoms
Orange yellow, circular patches appear on upper surface of
leaves. The spots become brown and dry up. When it affects the
given stem it hardens prematurely.
Pathogen
Cephaleurus mycoidea also attacks Tephrosia sp. and
Desmodium gyroides grown as green manure and shade.
152
Epidemiology
Rainy season is best suited for propagation of algae.
Management
Removal of infected portion and spraying with Copper oxychloride 0.25 %
Black root: Rosellina areuata

Symptoms
The fungus originate from the dead heaped leaves of 5 – 7.5 above the soil level.
From there if spreads to roots region of tea bushes. When bark is removed star like
growth of mycelium can be seen. At the surface of the soil the mycelium surrounds the
stem and kills the bank for the length of 7.5 – 10.0 cm. A swollen ring of tissue is formed
round the stem above the dead patch.
Pathogen
The fungus produces two kinds of fructification, a conidial stage and a perithecial
stage. The conidia are borne on short bristle like stalks. The perithecia are black and
spherical. They bear asci which in turn bear ascospores.
Mode of spread
The disease is spread by wind
Management:
Removal and destruction of infected plant. Clean cultivation with out fallen leaves
Dig a drench around the infected bush to provide sunlight in the drench which prevent the
spread of mycelium.
153
Lecture 22 - Diseases of Rose
Black spot- Diplocarbon rosae

Economic Importance
Black spot of rose is a serious problem in chill and cold climate of temperate
regions. The disease causes marked reduction in
the size and number of flowers.
Symptoms
Black lesions with feathery margins
surrounded by yellow tissue are found on the
leaves. Infected leaves drop prematurely.
Purple/red bumpy areas on first year canes may
be evident. Plants may be weakened due to
defoliation and reduced flower production may be observed.
Pathogen
The vegetative body of the fungus consists of two parts viz., the subcuticular
mycelium and the internal mycelium. The fungus produces acervuli on the central part of
the tar spots as blister like projections. Asci are discoid, sub epidermal, erumpent and 84
to 224 micron meter in diameter. Stroma is thin. Conidiophores are hyaline short and
cylindrical. Conidia are hyaline, two celled, fusiform or allantoid to obclavate, upper end
round, base narrow, guttulate, 18 – 25 x 5 – 6 micron meter.
The fungal spores are spread primarily by splashing rain or water. Germination of
the spores and infection occur when free water remains on the leaf surface for a period of
6 hours or longer. Leaf spots develop within 5 to 10 days.
154
Disease Cycle
Management
Cultural-Roses should be planted where the sun can quickly dry the night's dew.
Space roses far enough apart for good air circulation Avoid overhead watering and keep
foliage as dry as possible.Remove infected canes and burn diseased leaves. Spraying with
Mancozeb (or) Chlorothalonil 0.2% (or) Benomyl 0.1% or a copper dust .
Powdery mildew – Sphaerotheca pannosa
Economic Importance
It is one of the widely distributed disease of rose. Powdery mildew is prevalent
during Oct – Jan in south India and Dec- Feb in North India.
155
Symptoms
The symptom appears as grayish-white
powdery substance on the surfaces of young
leaves, shoots and buds. Infected leaves may be
distorted, and some leaf drop may occur. Flower
buds may fail to open, and those that do may
produce poor-quality flowers. It can occur almost
anytime during the growing season when
temperatures are mild (70 - 80 °F) and the relative humidity is high at night and low
during the day. It is most severe in shady areas and during cooler periods.
Pathogen
Mycelium is white , septate, ectophytic and sends globose haustoria into the
epidermal cells of the host. Conidiophores are short and erect. Conidia are one celled,
oblong, minutely verrucose with many large fat globules and 22.5 – 29.0 x 12.9 to 14.5
micron meter. Cleistothecia are formed towards the end of the season on the leaves,
petals, stems and thorns. Cleistothecia are with simple myceloid appendages. Each ascus
contains eight ascospores.
156
Disease Cycle

The fungus over winters as mycelium in dormant buds and shoots which are not
entirely killed. Either conidia or ascospores serve as primary inoculum. The secondary
spread is through wind borne conidia.
Management
Collection and burning of fallen leaves. Spray with Wettable sulphur 0.3% (or)
Dinocap 0.07% (or) Carbendazim 0.1% 2-3 sprays at 15 days interval is effective.
Sulphur dust at 25 kg/ha. Use of sulphur at higher temperature conditions will be
phytotoxic.
157
Die back – Diplodia rosarum

Economic Importance
In India it was first reported in 1961 from Delhi. Now it occurs in all the rose
growing areas.
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
The fungus produces round, black pycnidia which bear spores. The
pycnidiospores are dark coloured and two celled. Perithecia are immersed in the host
tissue and are surrounded by a pseudostroma. Ascospores are ellipsoidal or fusoid,
hyaline, two celled with the septum in or near the middle.
The fungus persists in dead twigs and the stalks of the withered blooms.
Management
Pruning should be done so that lesions on the young shoots will be eliminated.
Apply chaubatia pastic in the pruned area. Spray with COC 0.2% (or) Difolatan 0.2% (or)
Chlorothalonil 0.2% (or) Mancozeb 0.2%
Rust – Phragmidum mucronatum

Economic Importance
Rose rust is restricted to higher altitudes.
It occurs in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
Outbreaks of rust disease was reported from
Udaipur district of Rajasthan in the variety Chaiti Gulab.
Symptoms
158
Damage to lemon yellow pustules appear on lower surface of the leaves and stems.
Then the color changes to blackish red. The affected leaves turn yellow deformed and fall
prematurely. Die back symptom also appear due to weakening of the plant.
Pathogen
Phragmidum
mucronatum on rosa sp.
Aecidiospores are verrucose,
orange yellow, 24 – 25 x 18-
21 micron meter.They are
surrounded in the aecidium by
club shapped paraphyses.
Uredospores are ellipsoid or
ovate, echinulate, orange yellow and 21 – 28 x 14 -20 micron meter. The uredospores are
borne on short pedicels and are surrounded by paraphyses. Teleutospores are dark
coloured, cylindrical, 6- 8 celled with a pointed papilla and 65 – 120 x 30 – 40 micron
meter.
Management
Collection and burning of fallen leaves. Spray with Carboxin 0.1% or Wettable
sulphur 0.25% or Captan 0.2%
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Lecture 23 - Diseases of Chrysanthemum
Wilt -Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. chrysanthemi

Symptoms
Initial symptoms are in the form of yellowing and
browning of leaves. Affected leaves die from the base of the
plant upward. Infected plants are stunted and often fail to
produce flower. Wilting may cause rotting of root or the base of
the stem.
Mode of spread
The fungus is soil borne. The disease spreads through cuttings.
Management
Drenching the soil with or Carbendazim 0.1% is effective. Before planting
dipping the rooted cuttings in a solution of Thiram @1.5g/litre of water. Since the disease
spreads mostly through cuttings, it is important to use disease free planting material.
Disease can further be minimized by following strict sanitation; periodical monitoring;
crop rotation and roguing of infected plants.
Rust -Puccinia chrysanthemi

Symptoms
The disease symptoms are in the form of brown
blister-like swellings, which appear on the
undersides of leaves. These burst open releasing
masses of brown, powdery spores. Severely infected
plants become very weak and fail to bloom properly.
Management
Early removal of infected leaves/plants helps to prevent the further spread of the
disease. Spraying the plants with Karathane @ 0.025% or Wettable Sulphur @ 0.3 % is
effective in controlling the disease.
160
Septoria Leaf Spot -Sepotria chrysanthemella

Symptoms
Leaf spots occur during cool-wet periods
of the rainy season. Since the pathogens are
spread through rain splashes the lowermost leaves
get infected first. Serious infection may result in
premature withering of the leaves; the dead leaves
hang to the stem for some time. When flowering
starts the infection occurs on flower buds, which rot completely.
Pathogen
Pycnidia are numerous, amphigenous, sub epidermal, globose or lens shaped.
Conidia are hyaline, filiform, straight or flexuous often curved or worm like.
Infected debris in the soil appeared to be primary source of infection or systemic
infection carried through suckers. The fungus do not infect other members of the family
compositae and is specific to chrysanthemum cultivars only.
Management
This disease can be controlled by spraying Carbendazim 0.1% six times at 15
days intervals from the end of July or spraying Benomyl (0.1%) followed by Captafol
(0.2%) Destruction of disease debris and avoiding excessive irrigation is recommended.
Powdery Mildew -Oidium chrysanthemi

Symptoms
Infection is more severe in older plants under
humid conditions. The growth of the fungus on the
leaves appears as powdery coating. Infected leaves turn
yellow and dry out. Infected plants remains stunted and
fail to flower.
161
Management
Disease can be effectively controlled with Sulphur fungicides or Captan (0.2%).
Good ventilation and proper spacing for free circulation of air is recommended.
162
Lecture 24 - Diseases of Jasmine and Crossandra
Jasmine
Cercospora leaf spot – Cercospora jasminicola
Economic Importance
In India, the disease was first reported in 1946. Now
it’s known to be widely distributed.
Symptoms
Circular to irregular reddish brown spots of 2-8 mm dia
appear on the surface of the leaves. Later the spots become irregular covering larger areas
of the leaves.
Pathogen
Stromata are pale to dark brown, globular, filling stomatal openings. Fascicles are
mostly dense. Conidiophores are pale olivaceous brown, narrow, sparingly septate and
straight or sinuous. It has bluntly rounded tip and are 2 to 4 x 5 to 25 micron meter.
Conidia are pale to pale olivaceous obclavate cylindric, indistinctly septate and straight to
mildly curved. Its base is obconically truncate and tip is subobtuse and 20 to 66 x 2 to 4
micron meter.
It attacks all species of Jasminum. The disease spreads through wind borne
conidia.
Management
Spraying with Mancozeb 0.25% (or) Carbendazim 0.1%
Alternaria leaf blight – Alternaria jasmine, A. alternate

Symptoms
In the leaves dark brown spots appear. On fumed
condition the spots enlarges covering larges area causing
blighting of leaves. Concentric rings can be seen the lesions.
163
The disease also affects stem, petiole and flowers.

The disease spreads through wind borne conidia.
Epidemiology
The disease attacks Jathi malli (J. grandiflorum) and mullai (J. auriculatum). The
disease is severe during winter months (Oct-Dec). In certain areas the disease is noticed
even upto February.
Management
Collection and removal of fallen leaves. Spray with Copper oxychloride 0.25% or
Mancozeb 0.25%
Collar rot and Root rot – Sclerotium rolfsii
Symptoms
Plants at all stages are infected. First the older leaves
become yellow followed by younger leaves and finally death
of the plant. In the root black discoloration can be seen. On the
infected tissues and stem surface white strands of mycelia and
mustard like sclerotia are seen.
Management
Soil drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.25%. Heavy application of FYM with
Trichoderma viride
Phyllody – Phytoplasma
Symptoms
Leaves become small malformed and bushy. In the place of flowers green leaf
like malformed flowers are formed.
Mode of spread
The disease is transmitted by grafting and whitefly, Dialeurodes kirkaldii.
Management
Selection of cuttings from healthy plants. Spraying insecticide to control the
vector.
164
Lecture 25 - Diseases of Crossandra

Wilt: Fusarium solani
Economic Importance
In India it was first reported from Tamil Nadu in 1976. The disease is formed in
both air black and sandy loam soil and losses upto 80 % of plants has been reported.
Symptoms
Wilt is observed in patches. In the field the
disease is observed one month after transplanting.
Leaves of infected plants become pale and droop.
Margin of the leaves show pinkish brown
discoloration. The discoloration spreads to the midrib
in a period of 7 to 10 days. Stem portion gets
shriveled. Dark lesions are noticed on the roots
extending upto collar region which result in sloughing off the cortical tissue.
Chlamydospores survive in soil and they are spread by irrigation water.
Epidemiology
Incidence is more in the presence of root lesion nematode, Pratylenchus delatrei
and Helicotylenchus dihystera.
Management
Affected plants should be pulled out and destroyed to reduce the disease. The
nematode can be controlled by soil application of Phorate at the rate of 1 g/plant on 10th
day of transplanting. Soil drenching with Carbendazim 0.1 per cent or Copper
oxychloride 0.25 per cent on 30 days interval controls the disease. The treatment may be
repeated after 3 to 4 weeks if needed.
Stem rot: Rhizoctonia solani
The pathogen also causes pre-emergence damping off, Brown to black lesions
develop on stem just above soil level and result in girdling of the stem. The lesions
extend to the upper part of the stem. The lesions extend to the upper part of the stem and
result in collapse of seedlings. The roots are also rotted.
165
Management
Drenching with Fosesty1-A1 has been found effective in the control of the
disease.
Leaf blight: Colletotrichum crossandrae
Symptoms
The symptoms of leaves consist of the development of brownish, depressed
necrotic areas surrounded by reddish and slightly raised margins. Initially the spots
appear as brownish specks but become darker as they expand. The lesions are more
prominent on lower leaves and confined to the margins. Infected leaves roll up, shrivel
and drop off, leaving a barren stem with a whorl of young leaves at the top.
Management
Spraying with benomyl 0.1% (or) Mancozeb 0.2% (or) Carbendazim 0.1%
Alternaria leaf spot: Alternaria amaranthi var. crossandrae
Symptoms
This disease was first reported from Tamil Nadu during 1972. Infected leaves
show small, circular or irregular yellow spots on the upper surface. They soon enlarge
turn brown and develop dark brown concentric rings. Infected leaves become yellow and
drop off prematurely.
Management
Spraying with Benomyl 0.1% (or) Mancozeb 0.2% (or) Carbendazim 0.1%.
166

Diseases of Horticultural Crops Tnau 2.8

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krishipanth.

com Disease of Horticultural Crops & their Management

DISEASES OF HORTICULTURAL CROPS AND THEIR

Lecture 01 - Diseases of Citrus

Gummosis: Phytophthora parasitica, P. palmivora,P. citrophthora

Scab/Verucosis : Elsinoe fawcetti

Exocortis of scaly butt: Viroid

Mode of Spread and Survival

Lecture 02 - Diseases of Mango (2 Lectures)

Stem end rot: Diplodia natalensis

Lecture 03 - Diseases of Banana (2 Lectures)

Panama disease :Fusarium oxysporum f. spcubense

pairing and prolinage wit Carbofuran granules. Corm injection of 3 ml of 2%

powder 20g /litre/tree.

Freckle or Black Spot: Phyllostictina musarum

Lecture 04 - Diseases of Grapes

Mode of Spread and Survival

Lecture 05 - Diseases of Pomegranate and Papaya

Powdery mildew – Oidium caricae

Lecture 06 - Disease of Guava and Sapota

be made. In addition, proper cultural tactics such as proper fertilization, irrigation,

Lecture 07 - Disease of Apple (2 Lectures)

Scab –Venturia inaequalis

Fire blight- Erwinia amylovora

Lecture 08 - Diseases of Chilli

Damping off: Pythium aphanidermatum

Mode of spread and survival

Mode of spread and survival

Lecture 09 - Diseases of Brinjal

Little Leaf of Brinjal

Lecture 10 - Diseases of Bhendi

Mode of spread and survival

Vein-Clearing/Yellow Vein Mosaic :Bhendi yellow vein mosaic virus

Lecture 11 - Diseases of Potato (2 Lectures)

Late blight of potato: Phytopthora infestans

Mode of spread and survival

Black scurf- R. solani

Mode of spread and survival

Common scab or corkey scab – Streptomyces scabies

Lecture 12 - Diseases of Cucurbits (2 Lectures)

Cucumber and squash

Mode of spread and survival

Alternaria Blight - Alternaria cucumerina

Downy mildew - Pseudoperonospora cubensis

Lecture 13 - Diseases of Crucifers (2 Lectures)

Downy Mildew: Perenospora schachtti

Beet Yellows: Virus

White Rust: Albugo candida

Wire stem: Rhizoctonia solani

Mode of Spread and Survival

Downy mildew: Peronospora parasitica

Root rot: Rhizoctonia solani

Mode of Spread and Survival

Powdery mildew: Erysiphe polygoni

Conidiophores are septate. The cleistothecia are sharp and globose.

Bacterial soft rot: Erwinia carotovora sp. Carotovora

Mycelia growth and sclerotia (red arrow)

Remove or bury crop residue in the fall to help limit

Lecture 14 - Diseases of Tomato

Damping off: Pythium aphanidermatum

Early Blight : Alternaria solani

Septoria Leaf Spot:Septoria lycopersici

Bacterial wilt: Burkholderia solanacearum

Bacterial Leaf Spot : Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria