Developed the fungicide schedule for the management of early blight in potato in Rajasthan

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Kota to develop a fungicide spray schedule for the management of early blight (Alternaria alternata), the most significant foliar disease of potato during the year 2018-19 and 2019-20. The protective and curative activity of fungicides were assessed in field studies. All spray schedules inhibited disease progress and enhanced total tuber yields compared with unsprayed plots. Most minor disease severity (11.40%) with the highest disease control (74.32%) was recorded in the treatment (T3), where the first spray of mancozeb 75WP (0.25%) was followed by a second spray of difenoconazole 25% EC (0.05%) and a third spray of mancozeb 75WP (0.25%) at 10 days interval was applied. The second-best treatment was T2, where the first spray of mancozeb 75WP (0.25%) was followed by a second spray of hexaconazole 5EC (0.05%) and a third spray of mancozeb 75WP (0.25%) at 10 days interval (17.10% & 61.48) was applied. The higher tuber yield was achieved in the treatment T3 with the highest benefit-cost ratio (2.18). Thus, a spray schedule consisting of preventive and curative fungicides may be recommended to effectively manage early blight and higher tuber yield in south eastern Rajasthan.