Evaluation of fungicides for the control of Sclerotinia stem rot of Indian mustard caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary

Abstract

The current investigation was carried out under -in vitro and under sick plot conditions of the Department of Plant Pathology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar to test the efficacy of different fungicides against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The experiment was carried out through poison food technique under in vitro conditions andthrough foliar sprays under sick plot conditions. Efficacy of fungicides in vitro against S. sclerotiorum showed that carbendazim and hexaconazole completely inhibited mycelial growth up to 100 per cent at 50 ppm concentration. Propiconazole inhibited 96.39 per cent mycelial growth at 50 ppm and 100 per cent at 1000 ppm, while tricyclazole failed to inhibit mycelial growth up to 100 ppm, however, at 1000 ppm concentration, there was 100 per cent mycelial inhibition. Mancozeb and captan completely inhibited up to 100 per cent mycelial growth at 500 ppm concentration. Copper oxychloride and pencycuron were not effective at lower concentrations but had inhibited 45.28 and 22.50 per cent mycelial growth at 1000 ppm. Field experiment was conducted to test the efficacy of those fungicides which were found best under in vitro conditions. All the four fungicides tested significantly controlled Sclerotinia stem rot disease and increased the seed yield as compared to untreated control. Two Foliar sprays with hexaconazole @ 0.05% at 45 and 60 days after sowing was found most effective in controlling disease incidence up to 78.3 per cent and increasing seed yield up to 37.6 per cent as compared to untreated control.