Unravelling the Potential Use of Newer Fungicides against Alternaria Blight of Indian Mustard under In vivo

Abstract

The effectiveness of seven fungitoxicants, namely mancozeb (0.2%), azoxystrobin (0.05%), propiconazole (0.05%), difenconazole (0.05%), thiram, propineb and hexaconazole (0.05%), was evaluated as a single spray at 45 DAS and in combination with mancozeb at 45 DAS before spraying the other four fungicides separately at 60 DAS in field settings for two years in a row, during the rabi seasons of 2020–21 and 2021-22. The amount of efficacy varied across the treatments, but the spraying of several fungitoxicants alone as a single spray treatment or each fungicide in succession with mancozeb (0.2%) considerably reduced the Alternaria blight disease over control. Lower Alternaria blight severity and highest yield of 1676.17 kg/ha has generally been reported when two fungicide combinations, such as mancozeb at 45 DAS and the azoxystrobin fungicides at 60 DAS, are sprayed and highest and lowest siliqua infection was observed in propineb and mancozeb+difenoconazole treatments respectively. Foliar spray with hexaconazole (0.05%) at 60 DAS was found most effective in controlling Alternaria leaf blight severity up to 59.3 percent and Alternaria pod blight severity up to 32.7 percent and increased seed yield upto 29.9 percent or 1506.5 Kg/ha as compared to untreated control.