SCREENING OF SUGARCANE CULTIVARS AGAINST COLLETOTRICHUM FALCATUM CAUSING RED ROT DISEASE AND ITS CONTROL WITH DIFFERENT FUNGICIDES UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

Abstract

Ten sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) cultivars were screened against red rot disease caused by Colletotrichum falcatum under laboratory conditions by artificial inoculation technique. These cultivars were graded under various levels of resistance as well as susceptibility using a standard disease rating scale. Two cultivars i.e. NSG-59 and SPF-244 showed resistant reaction to red rot of sugarcane. Three cultivars i.e. CPF-246, CPF-247 and BF-138 showed moderately resistant (MR) reaction against red rot. Remaining five cultivars showed moderate, susceptible to highly susceptible reaction. The results of in vitro evaluation of seven fungicides at four concentrations (10 ppm, 15 ppm, 20 ppm and 25 ppm) showed that all tested fungicides with all concentrations significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of the pathogen as compared with control. However, the inhibition percentage was increased by increasing the concentrations of tested fungicides. Among fungicides Tilt proved the most effective fungicide by inhibiting linear mycelial growth at all concentrations against of C. falcatum followed Nativo while Metaxyl&Mencozeb was the least effective in terms of retarding fungal growth. The findings of the present study suggested that resistant cultivars may be utilized as a source of resistance and may be more useful as donors in breeding programme aimed at red rot disease resistance and the growth of the pathogen is effected by different concentrations of fungicides may play an important role to manage this disease.