Integrated Management of Foliar Blight of Medicinal Crop (Turmeric) Caused by Alternaria alternata

Abstract

The infected samples were collected from three districts viz; Kathua, Samba and Jammu for the study of the disease. The causal fungus of the disease was isolated and identified as Alternaria alternata on the basis of morphological characteristics. The cultivars PH-1 and local cultivar of turmeric were sown with three replications in the year 2014 and 2015 respectively, each to study the disease development and its management. During in vitro studies, the five groups of fungicide (Mancozeb, Carbendazim, Copper Oxychloride, Hexaconazole and Propiconazole) were evaluated against Altenaria alternata causing disease, best results were obtained with hexaconazole. The antagonistic activity of two fungal and two bacterial biocontrol agents were studied by dual culture thus Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas flurescens portrayed better results. Under compatibility of fungal bioagents and bacterial bioagents best compatibility was observed between copper oxychloride and Trichoderma viride and hexaconazole and Pseudomonas flurescens. Under the field conditions the best results among all fifteen treatments, with minimum disease intensity was observed in terms of integration i.e (hexaconazole + Trichoderma viride) (4.2%) in PH-1 cultivar and (6.7%) in local cultivar.