A Detailed Survey to Assess Guava Wilt Incidence in Prayagraj and Kaushambi District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

An intensive survey was conducted in the Prayagraj region of Uttar Pradesh during September, 2023 – January, 2024 to assess the incidence of guava wilt. The study covered seven blocks in Prayagraj and five in Kaushambi, with three villages selected from each block. Local farmers were interviewed to gather data on orchard conditions and guava wilt incidence. Results showed that guava wilt affected all surveyed villages, with incidences ranging from 15.6% to 41.43% and as the causal organism of guava wilt four morphologically different Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. psidii were isolated and observed under microscope. The average incidence was 29.26%, with higher rates in Kaushambi (31.50%) compared to Prayagraj (27.03%). The most affected blocks were Kaushambi (37.25%) and Meja (34.04%). Additionally, it was found that 72.22% of farmers were untrained in guava cultivation. The most common guava varieties were Allahabad Safeda (25%) and Allahabad Surkha (19.44%), which had the highest wilt incidences of 28.72% and 31.23%, respectively where L-49 and Pant Prabhat showed least wilt incidence of 25.02% and 24.29%, respectively. The orchards in the surveyed locations ranged from 6 to 22 years old, with most being older than 10 years.