Management of Sugarcane Pokkah Boeng Disease through Fungicides, Bioagents, and Integrated Micronutrient-based Approaches in Field Conditions

Abstract

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is an important agro-industrial crop of tropical and subtropical regions. This field study, conducted at the Sugarcane Research Institute, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar, during 2022–2023, evaluated fungicides, bioagents, and an integrated treatment against pokkah boeng caused by Fusarium proliferatum using one-bud setts. Treatments differed significantly in germination, disease incidence, sett mortality, cane yield, and juice-quality traits. Among the individual fungicides, thiophanate-methyl 70 WP at 1 g/L performed best, recording 68.74% germination, 5.97% disease incidence, 5.96% sett mortality, and a yield of 80.82 t/ha, with 20.23% Brix, 18.28% sucrose, and 90.36% purity. The integrated treatment of carbendazim 50 WP at 0.5 g/L + urea at 0.5 g/L + ZnSO₄ at 0.5 g/L + FeSO₄ at 0.5 g/L + fipronil (5 SC) at 0.5 mL/L gave the best overall performance, with 70.96% germination, 5.07% disease incidence, 4.67% sett mortality, and 81.31 t/ha yield. It also produced the highest juice-quality values: 22.93% Brix, 20.82% sucrose, and 90.79% purity. The untreated control recorded 49.67% germination, 21.87% disease incidence, and 49.72 t/ha yield. Relative to the control, the integrated treatment increased germination by 30.00% and yield by 38.85%, while reducing disease incidence by 77.86% and sett mortality by 77.33%.