Integrated Disease Management of Root Rot of Papaya in Eastern Gangetic Plains of India

Abstract

The root rot disease is one of the major problems for papaya cultivation in eastern Gangetic plains of India. Field experiments for two years were conducted during 2013–14 and 2014–15 to evaluate the efficacy of cultural practices, agronomical practices along with chemical fungicides applied as soil drenching either individually or in combinations. The experiment was planned to work out the integrated disease management system against root rot disease in papaya, and simultaneously their role in enhancing the fruit yield and its attributes. The results indicated that organic mulch and soil mounding either singly or in combination reduce the disease incidences along with increase in papaya yield and its attributes. Application of organic mulch + soil mounding with fungicide drenching reveals their posi-tive combined effect on reduction of disease inci-dence and severity levels along with increase in fruit yield and its attributes. Integrated approach-es including organic mulch + soil mounding + soil drenching with metalaxyl + mancozeb re-vealed significantly the highest control of root rot disease (97%) along with the highest increase in fruit yield (36%) and its contributing traits. The highest disease incidence (45%) along with the lowest fruit yield/plant (33.28 kg) and its attrib-uting traits were recorded in control during both the years, 2013–14 and 2014–15. Organic mulch and soil mounding is most effective for disease management in the North Eastern Plains Zone (NEPZ), especially in sandy loam soils. Results of the present study elucidate the combined effect of integrated disease management practices (organic mulch + soil mounding and soil drench-ing with metalaxyl + mancozeb) for root rot man-agement in papaya under eastern Gangetic plains of India.