Evaluation of Essential Oils for Managing Purple Blotch Disease and Enhancing Growth in Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Abstract

A research trial was conducted during the Rabi season of 2023-24 at the Central Research Field, Department of Plant Pathology, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The aim of the experiment was to assess the impact of various essential oils on the purple blotch disease in garlic, which is caused by Alternaria porri, as well as other growth parameters. The trial included seven treatments: T1- neem oil (5%), T2- eucalyptus oil (5%), T3- clove oil (5%), T4- castor oil (5%), T5- mustard oil (5%), T6- mancozeb 75 WP (0.2%), and T0- control, with each treatment replicated three times to manage the disease and to analyse the effects of the treatments on growth parameters. It was noted that all treatments significantly enhanced the growth parameters of garlic and lowered the severity of the disease. From the study of results, it was concluded that among all the treatments, the most effective for influencing the growth parameters viz. plant height (cm) was T1- Neem oil (55.60) followed by T3- Clove oil (53.46), T2- Eucalyptus oil (52.00), T4- Castor oil (50.93) and T5- Mustard oil (50.60) as compared to T0- Control (46.66) and check T6- Mancozeb (57.13), number of leaves was T1- Neem oil (5.86) followed by T3- Clove oil (5.60), T2- Eucalyptus oil (5.53), T4- Castor oil (5.33) and T5- Mustard oil (5.26) as compared to T0- Control (4.93) and check T6- Mancozeb (5.93). The study also concluded that cost benefit ratio significantly increased in the treatment T1- Neem oil (1:4.30) followed by T3- Clove oil (1:3.95), T2- Eucalyptus oil (1:3.74), T4- Castor oil (1:3.55) and T5- Mustard oil (1:3.40) as compared to T0- Control (1:2.47) and check T6- Mancozeb (1:6.15).