Disease Management Technology Research Articles

N-acetylcysteine absorption and its potential dual effect improve fitness and fruit yield in Xylella fastidiosa infected plants.

Xylella fastidiosa is a multi-host bacterium that can be detected in hundreds of plant species including several crops. Diseases caused by X. fastidiosa are considered a threat to global food production. The primary method for managing diseases caused by X. fastidiosa involves using insecticides to control the vector. Hence, it is necessary to adopt new and sustainable disease management technologies to control not only the insect but also the bacteria and plant health. We demonstrated that N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a low-cost cysteine analogue, is a sustainable molecule that can be used in agriculture to decrease the damage caused by X. fastidiosa and improve plant health. Using 15N-NAC we proved that this analogue was absorbed by the roots and transported to different parts of the plant. Inside the plant, NAC reduced the bacterial population by 60-fold and the number of xylem vessels blocked by bacterial biofilms. This reflected in a recovery of 0.28-fold of the daily sap flow compared to health plants. In addition, NAC-treated citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) plants decreased the oxidative stress by improving the activity of detoxifying enzymes. Moreover, the use of NAC in field conditions positively contributed to the increase in fruit yield of CVC-diseased plants. Our research not only advances the understanding of NAC absorption in plants, but also indicates its dual effect as an antimicrobial and antioxidant molecule. This, in turn, negatively affects bacterial survival while improving plant health by decreasing oxidative stress. Overall, the positive field-based evidence supports the viability of NAC as a sustainable agricultural application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

An updated review of Alternaria blight of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill sp.)

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill sp.) is an important food legume grown in semi-arid tropical and sub-tropical farming systems under diverse agroecological environments. Alternaria blight (Alternaria tenuissima (Kunze ex Pers.) Wiltshire) is a minor disease when the pigeonpea is sown in June-July but becomes the most serious disease in crops that are sown in mid-September in north-eastern India. Alternaria blight disease has been reported from 13.67 to 49.33% disease intensity in different climatic conditions. This disease is found on leaves, stems, and pods, and dark spots on the leaves and pods reduce the photosynthesis capacity and immature ripening, reducing the amount of quality seeds. The recurrence of the disease depends upon weather conditions, genotypes, age of plants, and virulence of the pathogen, and crop growing areas prioritized the research for developing an extensive range of Alternaria blight. Earlier workers on pathological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of pathogen the nature of the infection process, and the genetic basis of the pathogen in variability could not clearly be reported. It is required to investigate Alternaria blight including signs, symptoms, biology, status, epidemiology, pathogenic, biochemical, and genetic variability, refinement of the resistance screening techniques, and develop integrated disease management technology of the pathogen to understand the change of disease scenario in the context of climate change. Available information on pathogen symptomatology, status, variability, source of resistance, different management options, and genetic basis of resistance have been updated and discussed with the identification of future research priorities.

Promoting Self-Management and Independent Living of Older Individuals with Chronic Diseases through Technology: A Study of Self-Reported Needs, Priorities, and Preferences.

Background and Objectives: Older patients' needs are rarely examined beforehand, and thus, although technology-based tools can enhance self-management, acceptability rates are still low. This study aimed to examine and compare self-reported needs, priorities, and preferences of older patients with heart failure (HF), diabetes mellitus type II (DM2), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) toward technology use to enhance self-management. Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 473 participants over 60 s (60.5% females), diagnosed with HF (n= 156), DM2 (n = 164), or COPD (n = 153) was recruited. They were administered a questionnaire about the usefulness of technology in general and in specific areas of disease management. Results: Most participants (84.7%) admitted that technology is needed for better disease management. This was equally recognized across the three groups both for the overall and specific areas of disease management (in order of priority: "Information", "Communication with Physicians and Caregivers", and "Quality of Life and Wellbeing"). Sociodemographic differences were found. Cell phones and PCs were the devices of preference. The four common features prioritized by all three groups were related to 'information about disease management' (i.e., monitoring symptoms, reminders for medication intake, management and prevention of complications), whereas the fifth one was related to 'communication with physicians and caregivers (i.e., in case of abnormal or critical signs). The top disease-specific feature was also monitoring systems (of respiratory rate or blood sugar or blood pressure, and oxygen), whereas other disease-specific features followed (i.e., maintaining normal weight for HF patients, adjusting insulin dose for DM2 patients, and training on breathing exercises for COPD patients). Conclusions: Older individuals in these three groups seem receptive to technology in disease management. mHealth tools, incorporating both common and disease-specific features and addressing different chronic patients, and also being personalized at the same time, could be cost-saving and useful adjuncts in routine clinical care to improve self-management.

Enhancing Faba Bean Production through Promoting Integrated Faba Bean Gall Management Practices in Eastern Amhara Region of Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, a great variety of diseases affects faba bean production. However, gall forming faba bean new disease has become a very serious disease that seriously affected faba beans producing areas of Wollo. This prescalling up of integrated faba bean gall technology has been conducted at Meket and Wadla woredas of north Wollo in 2017/18 to create wider demand on the management of gall disease and to enhance integrated gall disease management technology dissemination. The study areas were selected purposively due to high infestation of the disease. A total of 32 farmers were selected based on a voluntary base. Adjacent farms of 5.7 ha at Wadla and 3 ha at Meket was selected and clustered accordingly. Integrated disease management i.e seed dressing with 300 gm Baylaton/100Kg seed, improved varieties and hand weeding were applied as a package for the control of the disease. Dosha with chemical gave an average gain yield of 2.2 tons/ha at Meket whereas Wolki with chemical gave an average grain yield of 2.5 tons/ha at Wadla woreda. However, the local variety with farmers’ practice gave an average grain yield of 100 kg/ha and 900 kg/ha at Wadla and Meket woredas respectively. The result of economic analysis also indicate that the technology is by far advantageous than the local variety and practice. So, the technology should be further disseminated to other hot spot areas of faba bean gall diseases.

Spot blotch: A journey from minor to major threat of wheat

In the recent times, the rapidly changing climate has transformed the host-pathogen-environment interactions considerably, leading to minor pathogens, such as Bipolaris sorokiniana, emerging as a major threat. B. sorokiniana attacks leaves, stem, sheath, root and grains of wheat which causes significant yield loss. However, lack of precise forecasting models, limited resistant cultivars and inadequate knowledge of new technologies for disease management serves as limitations in the proper management of the disease. In this article, we discuss the pathogen biology, its host range, host pathogen interactions, trend of severity, prevalence area, changing weather condition, newly reported resistant line/germplasm, gene and some other ecological sound approaches of the management

Deployment of Maize technologies in Western Kenya: An outcome case study report. TAAT MEL working document No. 002

The Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation ( TAAT ) is a program initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as part of its Feed Africa Initiative. The main objective of the program is to improve the business of agriculture across Africa by raising agricultural productivity and improving farmer livelihoods by mitigating risks and promoting diversification and processing across nine agricultural commodity value chains within eight identified Priority Intervention Areas (PIA). The program is implemented by IITA in close partnership with other CGIAR Centers, specialized technical centers (e.g. African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) etc), Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), national agricultural research and extension systems (NARES) and private sector partners. TAAT is not a research program but is rather an initiative focused on scaling high-performance food production technologies to millions of farmers in a commercially sustainable way through a network of strategic partners. Technical coordination of the program is provided by the TAAT Clearinghouse, a semi-autonomous unit in the program's management structure serving as an honest broker in the identification and assessment of proven technologies and products that are ready for widespread dissemination, as well as linking these technical opportunities to wider national investment development agendas. The TAAT program increases agricultural productivity through the deployment at scale of and high-performance agricultural technologies along selected value chains. TAAT operates as a network of interacting with nine devoted to specific commodity value chains, and six others serving as Enablers that provide needed specialist services. The nine (9) value chain Compacts are rice, maize, cassava, wheat, sorghum & millet, orange-flesh sweet potato, high-iron beans, small ruminants & poultry, and aquaculture. The six (6) enabler Compacts are soil fertility management, water management, capacity building, seed policy, fall army worm control, and youth in agribusiness Compacts each of which provides enabling services to the nine commodity value chains. The TAAT Maize Compact is led by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The TAAT Maize Compact aims to disseminate water-efficient maize hybrids as a climate-smart option across the continent to improve the productivity of maize farmers. Included in the technology package deployed by the Maize compact is licensing of hybrids to seed producers that provide an avenue for mass dissemination. Through outreach campaigns and knowledge-sharing efforts, the Compact deploys across agro-ecological zones to reach the Compact's intended 2,000,000 million beneficiaries. The establishment of technology demonstrations in the fields stimulates interest by showing the positive impact of the technologies to the farmers and then used to leverage resources from African Countries for long-term implementation and sustainable national programs. Implementation through national agricultural investment programs is the only way to ensure the sustainability of technology delivery. It shall be noted that the TAAT Maize Compact technologies are supported by a very strong ecosystem of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) seen through the participation of commercial seed companies working in partnership with farmer groups, commodity associations, and National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS). Primary beneficiaries of the maize technology dissemination efforts are smallholder farmers. The technologies deployed and promoted include: Elite Water Efficient Maize for Africa varieties (WEMA) Appropriate fertilizer blends Optimal maize planting density Efficient pest and weed management Post-harvest management Supportive marketing Mechanization Promoting good agricultural practices on the field. In Kenya, maize is the main staple food, yet it continues to face several challenges undermining its production to meet full self-sufficiency including drought, diseases, and pests such as the Fall Armyworm (FAW), Striga parasitic weed, and the Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease (MLND). In collaboration with its partners, the TAAT Maize Compact deployed several climate-smart maize technologies, optimal planting density, weed management, fertilizer blends, and pest and disease management technologies to facilitate the delivery mechanism of such technologies to farmers and scale them out across the country. The ground-truthing mission team observed that the intervention of the TAAT Maize Compact has benefited from a strategic ecosystem of partnerships that have contributed to increased yields for farmers that has, in turn, resulted in strong linkages and trust with local millers. Millers offer to farmers ready markets to sell out their produce When compared to maize landraces, farmers are also expecting to sell a bag of 90Kg of grains for 3,000KES giving them a marginal benefit (profit) of 1,000KES. This expected high price is due to the current maize shortages. To back up testimonials and information given by farmers during the TAAT Maize MEL mission in Western Kenya, the team opted to review journals from previous studies on the farmer adoption and on-farm performance of DroughtTEGOTM (We1101).

Land resources management of shallots farming: a case study in the highlands of Solok Regency, West Sumatera

Solok Regency in West Sumatera Province is one of the new development centers for shallot production in Indonesia. This region has a specific cultivation characteristic that is different from other shallot production centers, where the cultivation is done in the highlands throughout the year. It is estimated that there will be differences in yields and production techniques between the rainy and wet seasons. The purpose of this study was to investigate farming practices of shallot cultivation in the highland of Solok Regency during the dry and wet seasons. Survey on 95 shallot farmers in Solok Regency showed that the use of labour inputs, solid pesticides, leaf fertilizers, and adhesives was significantly different between the rainy season and the dry season. At the same time, the land area inputs, mulch use, organic fertilizer, chemical fertilizer, dolomite, and liquid pesticides were not significantly different. The productivity of each land unit in the rainy season is lower than that of the dry season. The results of this study are expected to be a reference for planning the application of integrated pest and disease management technology according to the appropriate season on the shallot commodity in the highlands of Solok Regency.

On-farm validation of management technology for seed and soil borne safflower diseases

On farm validation for seed and soil borne safflower disease management technology was conducted at Parbhani to evaluate the Trichoderma strain (Th4d)) as seed dresser compared with farmers’ practice. The seed treatments, Trichoderma harzianum Th4d SC @ 2 ml/kg and Trichoderma harzianum Th4d WP @ 10 g/kg were most effective with significantly least incidence of 5.3% of seed/soil borne disease as compared to farmers’ practice where the disease incidence was 11.3%. The treatment Trichoderma harzianum Th4d SC @ 2 ml/kg and Trichoderma harzianum Th4d WP @ 10 g/kg also recorded highest seed yield (1034 and 1055 kg/ha) followed by Carbendazim+Mancozeb (SAFF) @ 0.2% (977 kg/ha). The cost-benefit analysis showed that the seed treatment with Trichoderma harzianum Th4d WP @ 10 g/kg recorded the highest net monetary returns of `16,700/-.

Factors Affecting Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Technologies by Smallholder Common Bean Farmers in Kenya: A Case Study of Machakos and Bungoma Counties

Common Bean is an important pulse crop in Kenya. The yields of common beans in Kenya have been low and declining. The decline in Common Bean yields has been due to biotic and abiotic stresses. Research was carried out to determine factors that influenced the adoption of Integrated Pests and Disease Management technologies in Bungoma and Machakos counties, Kenya. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to randomly sample 502 smallholder farmers in Bungoma and Machakos counties. Primary data were collected from sampled farmers by carrying out face to face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Logistic regression using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) version 20 Software. Descriptive statistics results showed that farmers in the two study sites used both modern and indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) to control pests and diseases on their bean crops and produce. The Logistic regression results showed that five factors significantly influenced the choice of IPM technologies by farmers. These were: region, level of education of the household head, access to extension services, household food security status and availability of markets for beans. Access to extension and region were highly significant at 1% significance level. To achieve high yields the factor that significantly increased adoption of IPM in bean production such as access to extension should be enhanced.

Shedding new light on the (in)compatibility of chronic disease management with everyday life - social practice theory, mobile technologies and the interwoven time-spaces of teenage life.

This article uses a socio-material approach, social practice theory, to provide new insights into the self-management of chronic illness. It demonstrates how this theory can bridge arguments about the respective roles of social and individual influences, and how it can foreground an oft-overlooked aspect of the issue - the demands of self-care technologies and consequences for participation in social life. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with 25 young type-1 diabetes outpatients in London, UK, the study points to the conflicts that occur when disease management technologies compete for time and space with the social practices of everyday life, and when self-care tasks threaten to interrupt the flow of social life and make people feel 'left behind'. The paper concludes that young people are disabled by the contingent position of self-care activities in daily life, which oblige them to compromise either their physical health or their immersion in the social world. This disabling effect would be mitigated if social practices were reorganised to make them more amenable to the time-space requirements of disease management. A social practice theory lens can help throw light onto this issue and make a valuable contribution to the study of the self-management of chronic illness.

Verification of disease management technology on lentil against Stemphylium blight at farmer’s field in Nepal

Technologies generated from lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) stemphylium blight (Stemphylium botryosum Walr) management experiments were verified at farmers field of 5 districts viz., Chitawan, Rautahat, Dang, Parsa and Banke during two winter seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014- 2015. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with factorial arrangement of treatments and replicated 4 times. The plot size was 340 m2 (1 Kattha) with 25 cm row to row spacing. There were altogether 3 factors of the experiment i.e. year (2013-2014 and 2014-2015), location (5 districts) and package of practice (improved and farmers practice). The higher crop yield (1142.50 kg/ha) with lower disease index (34.95%) and higher benefit cost ratio of 2.42 were recorded in the farmers field of Banke district following seed rate (30 kg/ha), 8 hour primed improved variety (Black lentil), fertilizer doze of (20:40:20 NPK kg/ha+ 1 kg/ha B basal doze) and subsequent 3 sprays of Dithane M-45 @ 2.5 g/l of water at 10 days interval.

Transfer of integrated disease management technology for successful cultivation of saffron in Kishtwar district of J&K

Jammu and Kashmir State of India enjoys the monopoly in commercial cultivation of saffron crop in India. Kishtwar district of J&K contributes about 3% of the total saffron production in India with average productivity of 1.5 kg ha-1. Among various factors responsible for low productivity of saffron is corm rot which is one of the major constraints in stabilizing its production. The disease is caused by more than one pathogens viz., Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli, Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia spp., Macrophomina sp., Penicillium sp. and Sclerotium rolfsii. Poor cultivation technologies along with inadequate technical know-how about the management of the disease had forcing saffron growers to diversify from saffron to other crops in these areas. Due to the sustained research and extension activities of the Division of Plant Pathology, since 2005, saffron cultivation has re-gained the momentum due to the dissemination of effective integrated management practices for corm rot of saffron. Regular training programmes were carried out in the region to make the growers aware of the scientific cultivation of saffron, which emerged as one of the major tools that paved way for the successful in dissemination of integrated disease management technology for the management of corm rot in saffron. So far, 40 one-day training programmes have been conducted from which more than 1500 growers were educated and trained about the latest technologies regarding successful saffron cultivation. About ten demonstrations on IDM technology were also conducted in farmer's participatory approach (FPP) mode, in which the scientific guidance along with chemicals were provided to the beneficiaries from sowing till harvesting. Due to the adoption of the technologies that were disseminated, the productivity of saffron increased up to 3.96 kg ha-1 in the field of adopted farmers.

Evaluation of integrated disease management technologies for corm rot of saffron in Kishtwar district of J&K

Corm rot is a major constraint in the successful cultivation of saffron in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. The disease was found to be caused by a complex group of microorganisms. The results showed significantly less disease incidence and more germination and yield on integrated disease management (IDM) adopted areas as compared to farmers' practices (FP) plots, during the three consecutive years of validation. Average mean percent disease incidence and germination of three years were 28.88 and 81.16 in IDM and 71.11 and 18.83 in FP plots, respectively. Fields covered under IDM practice showed significantly higher mean yield (0.396 t ha-1) comparing to farmer's practiced plots (0.148 t ha-1).

Efficacy and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Indigenous Technical Knowledge versus Recommended Integrated Pest and Disease Management Technologies on Common Beans in South Western Uganda

The common bean is the second most important food and third economically important crop after banana and coffee in the South Western Agro-Ecological Zone of Uganda. Farmers’ returns to investment in bean production are consistently negative mainly due to losses resulting from collective effects of insect pests and diseases that cause damages at the various plant growth stages. This research study was carried out to 1) identify the major insect pests and diseases affecting the common beans in the zone; 2) test and compare the performance of the local/traditional practices versus integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) technology combinations; 3) determine the yield performance of improved varieties under the different pest control practices; 4) evaluate the profitability of the different pest and disease management practices. Results showed that cutworm, thrips, aphid and defoliating beetles were the major insect pests, while angular leaf spot, ascochyta blight, anthracnose and the bean common mosaic virus (BCMV) were the major diseases. Improved varieties managed with the recommended IPDM technology combination were more protected compared to the farmers’ indigenous practices. The climbing varieties had significantly higher yield (3.4 t/ha) than the local bush variety (1.2 t/ha). Consequently, the application of indigenous practices resulted in negative returns to investment while the combination of research recommended technologies including judicial inorganic pesticide application led to positive returns to investment in bean production. The marginal rate of return (MRR) of IPDM technologies including inorganic pesticides was two times greater, implying that integration of improved variety with recommended agronomic crop management technologies plus judicial chemical application is economically feasible for increased common bean production in South Western Uganda.

Transcriptomic signature of Fusarium toxin in chickpea unveiling wilt pathogenicity pathways and marker discovery

• Transcriptomic profiling gives differential gene expression in chickpea challenged with Fusarium toxin in extreme genotypes. • Nine hub proteins genes found in gene regulatory network analysis with nodes having degree centrality more than 28. • Reported DEGs controlled by miRNAs can be promising genomic resource for silencing technology in disease management. • Elucidated key pathways and its genes can be targeted for future marker discovery and used for sustainable wilt management.

107EMF Jefferson Emergency Department/Observation Unit Telehealth Transition of Care for Heart Failure (JETT-HF): A Determination of Patient Needs

Approximately 20% of patients with acute decompensated heart failure are managed in emergency department observation units. These patients typically do not receive transitional care interventions often available from cardiology services. We explored the transitional needs of this group of patients, with a focus on use of technology. Patients cared for in the emergency department either as an acute visit or an observation unit visit at a single academic medical center were enrolled in the study. Using a grounded theory approach, participants were interviewed using a guide designed to explore previous and current heart failure medical care experiences, self-care (diet, medications, and appointments), psychosocial issues, support in the post-discharge environment, physical activity, and perceived causes and precipitants of any repeat visits. Interviews were transcribed, and coding was done by a group using a constant comparative method. Twenty three patients were interviewed; 15 from the observation unit and 8 who were previously in the ED. Patients were 57 +/- 14 years old, 39% female, 70% Black. Most patients had contacted their physicians prior to coming to the ED, and did not report physician access issues. Patients also felt that they did not need help managing their medications. Patients identified self care domains as their most prominent issues, including difficulty obtaining reliable sources of information regarding heart failure care, maintaining exercise routines, and adhering to dietary rules. Patients had increased difficulty taking care of their heart failure with comorbid conditions. In terms of mobile technology, older patients were resistant to the idea of telehealth as a platform to deliver information, while many younger patients were aware of telehealth and mobile technologies for disease management, but none had used these previously to connect with their physician. Overall, 74% of patients reported having access to a smart phone or computer, while 65%% of patients reported using the internet daily. Patients in observation units for heart failure identified concerns with self care such as nutrition and exercise. Surprisingly, most patients did not report physician access or medication management as significant problems. Although patients report awareness and interest of telehealth, none had used mobile technology in their self care. This study provides data to create a mobile technology-based intervention for patients after an observation stay for acute heart failure.

217 - Jefferson ED-observation Unit Telehealth Transition of Care for Heart Failure (JETT-HFA): A Mixed Methods Study

Introduction: Approximately 20% of patients with acute decompensated heart failure are managed in emergency department observation units. These patients typically do not receive transitional care interventions often available from cardiology services. We explored the transitional needs of this group of patients, with a focus on patient acceptability of telehealth use. Methods: Patients cared for in the emergency room either as an acute visit or an observation unit visit at a single academic medical center were enrolled in the study. Using a grounded theory approach, participants were interviewed using a guide designed to explore previous and current heart failure medical care experiences, adherence (diet, fluid, medications, and appointments), psychosocial issues, support in the post-discharge environment, physical activity, and perceived causes and precipitants of any repeat visits. Interviews were transcribed, and coding was done by a group using a constant comparative method. Results: Twenty one patients were interviewed; 13 from the observation unit and 8 who were previously in the ED. Patients were 58 + /- 13 age, 38% female, 61% Black. Most patients had contacted their physicians prior to coming to the ED, and did not report physician access issues. Patients also felt that they did not need help managing their medications. Patients discussed the difficulty of managing multiple comorbidities. Patients identified self care domains to aid in preventing readmissions: reliable sources of information regarding heart failure, nutrition guidance, and exercise guidance. Older patients were resistant to the idea of telehealth as a platform to deliver information, while many younger patients were aware of telehealth and mobile technologies for disease management, but none had used these previously. Overall, 72% of patients reported having access to a smart phone or computer, while 100% of patients reported using the internet at least weekly. Conclusions: Patients in observation units for heart failure identified concerns with self care such as nutrition and exercise., Most patients did not report physician access or medication management as significant problems. Although patients report awareness and interest of telehealth, none had used mobile technology in their self care. This study provides data to create a mobile-technology based intervention for patients after an observation stay for acute heart failure.

PMD100 - The Increasing Role of Wearable Digital Technology in Disease Management - An Assessment of the Opportunities and Challenges from a Multi-Stakeholder (Patient, Payer, Physician, Manufacturer) Perspective

PMD100 - The Increasing Role of Wearable Digital Technology in Disease Management - An Assessment of the Opportunities and Challenges from a Multi-Stakeholder (Patient, Payer, Physician, Manufacturer) Perspective

Field evaluation of Trichoderma Viride for wilt management in chickpea crop

Chickpea is one of the important pulse crops of the Faizabad district among pulses which is affected by the Fusarium wilt ( Fusarium udum ) disease causing severe yield loss. An eco-friendly integrated disease management technology, particularly use of Trichoderma as seed and soil treatment with rotted FYM have been evaluated on large area of farmers' field during Rabi 2012-13 and 2013-14 in the Madhupur, Anjana and Magalsi villages of Faizabad district (Uttar Pradesh) through on farm trial. Grain yield of chick pea and incidence of wilt were significantly less under Trichoderma treatment and was much superior over the control. Soil and seed treatments with Trichoderma resulted in lowering the wilt disease and considerably increased grain yield of chick pea over farmers' practice. The use of Trichoderma for the management of wilt was very much appreciated by the farmers. The success of Trichoderma in the target villages outlines the need for its popularization in larger areas.

Alternative management technologies for postharvest disease control: The journey from simplicity to complexity

Finding safe and effective alternatives to synthetic fungicides for reducing postharvest losses of harvested commodities has been a focus of much research over the past three decades. Identifying alternatives that are widely accepted and commercially viable has, however, been a challenge. The search to identify alternative approaches to postharvest disease management must be viewed in relation to a complex regulatory environment, the need to address disease problems in a wide array of commodities and conditions, industry and consumer acceptance, and last but not least, commercial viability. In order for companies to invest in new technologies, they must be able to clearly see both the value of a product and the financial return on their investment. The present review attempts to highlight how the search for alternative postharvest disease management technologies has been a journey from simplicity to complexity. Plant pathologists developing alternative technologies are slowly moving away from the “silver bullet” concept where a single intervention can be used to control a disease to viewing plant disease as a process where multiple interventions may be required at different points in the disease process. Over the past thirty years, alternatives have moved from the simple idea of applying high concentrations of biocontrol agents to a harvested commodity, to using a wide array of other alternatives, and integrating them together into a systems approach based on the multiple decrement or multiple hurdle concept. The ease of sequencing genomes and obtaining related genotypic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic information is leading to the development of new commercial technologies where problems are solved “biologically.”