The pigeonpea crop suffers from a number of devasting diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes and a number of environmental factors. Stem canker caused by Phoma cajani is an emerging disease in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, leading to significant crop losses due to stem canker, lesion, girdling, die back and plant death. In this experiment total fourteen commercially available fungicides at five different concentrations (each at 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25%) were evaluated in vitro by poisoned food technique, against P. cajani. Among different fungicides tested, cent percent mycelial growth inhibition over untreated control with Tebuconazole 25.9% EC and Azoxystrobin 4.7% + Mancozeb 59.7%+ Tebuconazole 5.6% WG (each @ 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25% conc.), Carboxin 37.5% + Thiram 37.5% WP (@ 0.10, 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25% conc.), Hexaconazole 5% SC, Metalaxyl-M 4%+ Mancozeb 64% WP, Azoxystrobin 18.2% + Difenoconazole 11.4% SCand Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25 % WG (each @ 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25% conc.) and Myclobutanil 10% WP and Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63% WP (each @ 0.20 and 0.25% conc.).

Fungicide, Percent Inhibition, Pathogenicity, Phoma cajani, Pigeonpea and Stem canker

The fungicides screened in this study varied in their mycelia per cent inhibition against P. cajani. Tebuconazole 25.9% EC, Azoxystrobin 4.7% + Mancozeb 59.7%+ Tebuconazole 5.6% WG, Carboxin 37.5% + Thiram 37.5% WP, Hexaconazole 5% SC and Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25 % WG had better inhibition effect while Copper oxychloride 50% WP had the lowest effect. Increased fungicide concentration effectively inhibited mycelia growth. Although the results are promising, additional studies are necessary to validate these findings before providing recommendations for large-scale application

K.M. Kanase, S.S. Mane, S.T. Ingle, S.B. Bramhankar and V.P. Dhanorkar (2025). Comparative In vitro Evaluation of Fungicides Against Phoma cajani causing Stem Canker of Pigeonpea. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 17(1): 42-47.