Management of major fungal foliar diseases of rapeseed-mustard

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during 2010–11 and 2012–13 to manage the major fungal foliar diseases of rapeseed-mustard by integrating bioagents–Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescence; plant product–garlic bulb extract and fungicides–apron and ridomil MZ. Total 18 treatments were prepared by using them alone or in combination as seed dressers and/or as foliar spray. Among these, treatment–seed treatment (ST) followed by three foliar sprays (FS) with garlic bulb extract 1% concentration (w/v) was recorded the most effective with minimum mean severity of alternaria blight (38.00%), white rust (11.33%) and powdery mildew (49.31%). It was followed by treatment ST with apron (6 g/kg seed)+2 FS of ridomil MZ (0.2%) and treatment ST with T. harzianum (10 g/kg seed)+3 FS of T. harzianum (1.0%), respectively, but all were at par. Similar trend was noted in case of seed yield also. Maximum average seed yield of 1380 kg/ha with highest cost: benefit ratio of 4.8 was recorded with garlic bulb extract. Thus, garlic bulb extract @ 1% w/v can be recommended as seed dresser and foliar spray bio-pesticide for the eco-friendly management of fungal foliar diseases of rapeseed-mustard. Out of 225 genotypes screened, only three genotypes, namely, PBC-2002-2B, PBC-2004-1 and NPC-14 were recorded resistant against four major diseases like downy mildew (DM), alternaria blight (AB), white rust (WR) and powdery mildew (PM). Besides this, genotypes PBN-2001 and PBN-2002 were recorded resistant to AB, WR, DM and GSL-1, HNS-004, NUDB-2611, OCN-3, CAN-133, EC-338997, EC-339000 and NPN-1 resistant to DM, WR and PM.