Management of Alternaria Leaf Blight in Sponge Gourd (Luffa cylindrica) Using Selected Chemicals and Neem Oil

Abstract

Sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica (L.) Roxb.) is one of the most widely cultivated vegetables in the Cucurbitaceae family. It is highly nutritious, providing a good source of vitamins, iron, and essential minerals. The vegetable is light, easy to digest, and commonly used in a variety of dishes. Among fungal diseases, Alternaria leaf blight and leaf spot caused by Alternaria spp. are the most important diseases of sponge gourd. A field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of neem oil with different chemicals on Alternaria leaf blight of sponge gourd. The experiment was done using RBD (Randomized Block Design) with three replications with seven treatments such as T0 – control, T1 - Neem oil @ 5%, T2 -Carbendazim 12% @0.3% + Neem oil @2.0%, T3 - Captan 70% @0.2% + Neem oil @2.0%, T4 – Fosetyl-Al @0.2% + Neem oil @2.0%, T5 – Tebuconazole 50% @0.2% Neem oil @2.0% and T6 – Hexaconazole 5% WP @0.2% + Neem oil @2.0%. All the treatments used in experiment were found effective to varying extents. All the treatments were statistically significant over the control, but the treatments with Captan 70% @0.2% + Neem oil @2.0% was highly significant. The treatment T3 - Captan 70% @0.2% + Neem oil @2.0% proved to be most effective against Alternaria cucumerina, reducing the disease intensity and prompting high yield and thus statistically significant. The maximum yield (t/ha) in sponge gourd and C:B ratio was recorded with Captan 70% @0.2% + Neem oil @2.0%.