Pomegranate Cercospora Leaf Spot as an Emerging Problem, Tackle through Biological, Botanical and Fungicidal Approach, both in-vitro and Field Condition

Author: Shilpa, Somasekhara Y.M., Ravichandra, Mahesh M. and Shalini M.

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Abstract

Pomegranate plant affected by many diseases and pests which hinders the production of quality of fruits and reduces the yield. The diseases caused by Cercospora sp. in different crops are considered to be of minor importance, yet the changing climatic scenario resulted in erratic rainfall with the resume that the incidence and severity of Cercospora leaf and fruit spots is increasing every year. Recently, pomegranate plants were heavily infected with cercospora leaf spot disease with symptoms like brown to dark brown spot with faint halo symptoms on leaves, but in case of flowers and fruits initially circular spot later become irregular as they grow, due to this there is qualitative and quantitative loss observed (loss about 4-17 %: Anon., 2020). The disease was managed by use of latest fungicides, botanicals and bio-agents under lab condition. In vitro evaluation of systemic fungicides indicated that carbendazim (92.31%), in contact fungicides, captan (76.15%) and in case of combi-product fungicides, Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63% WP found most effective against Cercospora punicae. total nine botanicals were tested against C. punicae, among those Simarouba leaf extract showed maximum per cent mycelial inhibition of C. punicae. Among different fungal bio-agents like, Trichoderma viridae-3 (71.11%) whereas in bacterial bio-agents Pseudomonas fluorescence Dharwad (47.96%) isolate showed maximum mycelial growth inhibition of Cercospora punicae in lab conditions.

Keywords

Leaf spot, Cercospora, pomegranate, mycelial inhibition, fungicides, bio-agents, plant extract, maximum, growth

Conclusion

The research conducted on Studies on leaf spot of pomegranate caused by Cercospora punicae Henn. was managed under in vitro conditions by best chemicals like carbendazim, captan and combination of carbendazim + mancozeb whereas in bio-agents Trichoderma viridae-3 (fungal) and Pseudomonas fluorescence Dharwad isolate (bacteria) found most effective. In case of botanicals Simarouba leaf extract showed maximum per cent of mycelial inhibition over the control. In vivo or in field condition we found one of the best chemical for managing the disease was azoxystrobin 23% SC fungicide which was reducing no. of spot on leaves and disease severity in both locations.

References

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How to cite this article

Shilpa, Somasekhara Y.M., Ravichandra, Mahesh M. and Shalini M. (2023). Pomegranate Cercospora Leaf Spot as an Emerging Problem, Tackle through Biological, Botanical and Fungicidal Approach, both in-vitro and Field Condition. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(3): 553-563.