<div>Background: Leaf spot and flower blight caused by Alternaria zinniae is serious disease of marigold causing yield loss of 50-60% in crop. Many previously used fungicides showed resistance against the pathogen. So the present investigation was carried out with an objective to study the efficacy of new fungicides available in the market using poison food technique.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Eleven fungicides such as azoxystrobin, tebuconazole, azoxystrobin + tebuconazole, difenoconazole, azoxystrobin + difenoconazole, tebuconazole + sulphur, wettable sulphur, mancozeb, metalaxly, chlorothalonil, chlorothalonil + metalaxly were evaluated at the concentration of 0.1%, 0.15% ,0.1%, 0.1%, 0.1%, 0.15%, 0.25%, 0.3%,0.2%, 0.3% and 0.3% respectively. 
&nbsp; 
Result: The present investigation revealed that Azoxystrobin + Tebuconazole recorded maximum mycelial growth inhibition of 96.85% followed by Tebuconazole + Sulphur 96.40% and Metalaxyl of 95.50%. The least inhibition of 18.92% was recorded by wettable sulphur.</div>

New Group of Fungicides as the Potential Source of Management of Leaf Spot and Flower Blight of Marigold

Background: This study determined the incidence, severity and distribution of fungal pathogens associated with cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) causing brown leaf spot (BLS) disease during the 2021-2023 cropping seasons in five communities each from Sunyani municipality, Sunyani west municipality and Dormaa east district of Bono Region, Ghana. 
 
Methods: During the survey, incidence and severity of BLS were observed in cassava fields across the fifteen communities using a purposive sampling method in the dry and rainy seasons. A simple random method was employed to sample 135 infected cassava plants showing symptoms of BLS for isolation and purification of the putative pathogen. The study subsequently validated Koch&rsquo;s postulates. 
 
Result: A total of 898 pathogenic fungal isolates were extracted and identified as belonging to 15 genera, with two fungal pathogens, belonging to the genera Colletotrichum and Lasiodiplodia spp., identified as the causative agents of BLS with relative prevalence of 40% and 31.68%, respectively. The rainy season had a significantly higher incidence of BLS (76.87%) than the dry season (18.40%). The rainy season also had a significantly higher severity score (63.02) than the dry season (43.3). The damage index in Sunyani west municipality and Dormaa east district was also significantly (P &lt; 0.001) different between the dry and rainy seasons. In the rainy season, more foliar damage occurred at an average of 71.9% than in the dry season, which recorded 8.0%.

Prevalence of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Brown Leaf Spot Disease in the Bono Region of Ghana and Association of Fungi with Leaf Spots

<div>Back ground: Alternariaster leaf blight caused by Alternariaster helianthi is an important disease on sunflower, caused yield losses upto 80%. It is seed and air borne. Management of this disease is very important to avoid yield losses, hence, this experiment was planned with available fungicides &nbsp;(combi products) in the market. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was carried out on management of Alternariaster leaf spot disease for three years i.e., kharif 2018, 2019 and 2020 at RARS, Nandyal&nbsp; under AICRP on Sunflower scheme. Seven treatments were imposed in three replications with different fungicides&nbsp; by using the hybrid KBSH-44 in RBD design. 
 
Result: Pooled analysis results indicated that among different treatments, the treatment T3: (Seed treatment with carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63% wp&nbsp; @&nbsp; 2g/kg seed followed by two foliar sprays with Trifloxystrobin 25%+ tebuconazole 50% (Nativo 75WG)@ 0.25g/l) has recorded low severity (PDI) of 37% with higher yield of 1382 kg/ha, which was followed by the treatment T1 (Seed treatment with carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63% WP (SAAF 75 WP) @&nbsp; 2g/kg seed followed by two foliar sprays with difenconazole 25% + propiconazole 25% (TASPA 500EC) @ 0.3 ml/l) has recorded disease severity (PDI) of 40.95% and yield of 1363 kg/ha, where as control recorded high PDI of&nbsp; 53.38% and lower yield of&nbsp; 1200&nbsp; kg/ha. Regarding B:C ratio, the treatment T1 recorded high B:C ratio i.e., 1.65, followed by T4 and T3 recorded 1.59 and 1.57 respectively.&nbsp; Hence, it was concluded that above three treatments were recommended for disease management as they are on par with each other and recorded more B:C ratio than others.</div>

Management of Alternaria Leaf Spot using Available Fungicides (Combi Products) in Sunflower

<div>Background: Early leaf spot caused by Cercospora arachidicola Hori. is most destructive disease in all the groundnut growing areas of Rajasthan, under severe infestation it cause 30-50% losses in pod yield. Recently, Central Insecticide Board (CIB), Faridabade banned 27 pesticides including some important fungicides which are extensively used in plant disease management. Therefore, in the present investigation, our main emphasis was to find out some new fungicides for management of early leaf spot disease. 
 
Methods: Ten fungicides (hexaconazole 5% EC, difenconazole 25% EC, propiconazole 25% EC, tebuconazole 25.9% EC, trifloxystrobin 25% + tebuconazole 50% WG, mancozeb 50% WP, chlorothalonil 75% WP, carbendazim 50% WP, carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63% WP and captan 70% + hexaconazole 5% WP) were evaluated against early leaf spot pathogen (C. arachidicola) both in lab as well as in field condition. The experiment was conducted at ARS, SKRAU, Bikaner during Kharif-2019 on most popular cv. HNG-69 in RBD design with the application of foliar spray of ten different fungicides at different concentrations against early leaf spot disease and compared with an untreated control. 
 
Result: Among all the fungicides used in the present investigation, Tebuconazole 25.9% EC was found most effective in inhibiting the mycelial growth of the pathogen followed by trifloxystrobin 25% + tebuconazole 50% WG. Under field condition, it gave maximum (70.73%) disease control with highest pod yield (31.5 q/ha) and net return (Rs 57,500/ha) when applied as foliar spray at 0.1% concentration followed by trifloxystrobin 25% + tebuconazole 50% WG at 0.2%. These treatments can provide an effective and economical management of early leaf spot disease for groundnut cultivators.</div>

​Management of Early Leaf Spot (Cercospora arachidicola) of Groundnut in Rajasthan

<div>Background: Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp] is one of the primary grain legume crops grown in India for its high quality vegetable protein, animal feed and fodder. It is affected by various fungal and viral diseases. Among these, leaf blight caused by Alternaria alternata is one of the most destructive diseases and recently the disease of minor importance becomes major one in Tamil Nadu. Use of resistant cultivar is the most effective, economically viable and eco-friendly tool for combating the plant diseases. The micronutrients play a key role in many physiological and biochemical functions of the plants which influences plant pathogenic interaction. The micronutrients viz., Zn.Mn,Cu and Fe found to have greater impact on reducing the plant disease severity. Developing integrated disease management strategy involving disease resistant variety, micronutrient and fungicide application would be the best sustainable method for controlling the pigeonpea leaf blight. 
 
Methods: Twenty four pigeonpea genotypes along with two local varieties viz., CO5 and CO6 were evaluated in the field for their resistance against Alternaria alternata leaf blight disease, consecutively for three years from 2015-16 to 2017-18 using the disease resistance scale ranging from 0 to 9. Field experiments were also conducted for three consecutive Kharif season from 2015 to 2018 to evaluate the efficacy of the foliar application of different micronutrients and combination fungicide viz., carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63% on the incidence of leaf blight disease.&nbsp; 
 
Result: A total of 24 pigeonpea genotypes were screened for their resistance against leaf blight under field condition. Among these, four genotypes viz., BDN2, IPA 8F, IPA 15F and MA6 were found resistance and nine genotypes were moderately resistant and remaining 11 genotypes showed susceptible reaction to leaf blight. The results of the field experiment on micronutrient and fungicide application revealed that foliar spraying of MnSO 4 @0.2% on 30 days after sowing and carbendazim 12%+ mancozeb 63%@ 1g / lit on 45 days after sowing recorded the lowest leaf blight incidence of 8.1 PDI (Per cent Disease Index) with the highest disease reduction of 76.9% as against 35 PDI in the untreated control plot. The above treatments also recorded the highest grain yield of 905 kg/ ha as against 703 kg/ in the untreated control.</div>

<div>Management of Alternaria Leaf Blight in Pigeonpea through Host Plant Resistance and Micronutrient Application</div>

<div>Background: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is the fourth most important oil seed crop in the world. The early and late spots are a foliage disease more common and more destructive of groundnut which cause severe yield losses up to 70% and reduces the quality of the pod and fodder. Recent efforts have targeted on developing resistant source against leaf spot disease which are helpful for discarding the hazardous toxic chemical compounds used for controlling the disease. The current study aimed to identify the sources of resistance to leaf spot from the newly identified genotypes as well as from wild species and to study the way in which these were responding to the to the disease development. 
&nbsp;</div>

<div>Methods: &nbsp;Seventy three groundnut genotypes were screened against late leaf spot disease under artificial epiphytotic conditions in field at AICRP on Groundnut, MPKV, Rahuri during kharif 2015-16. The observations of disease intensity and rate of infection were recorded. 
 
Result: Among the Seventy three groundnut genotypes, 10 genotypes showed resistant and 33 genotypes showed the moderately resistant reaction to leaf spot disease. The 25 entries showed the susceptible and 05 genotypes showed the highly susceptible reaction to the leaf spot disease. All the susceptible cultivars belong to A. hypogaea sub. sp. fastigiata var. fastigiata &nbsp;to as Spanish bunch. These 10 resistant genotypes of groundnut including two wild species viz., RHRG 6083, KDG 128, GPBD 4, ICGV 94118, ICGV 4983, &nbsp;ICG 12672, ICGV 13160 (A. batizocoi), ICGV 13165 (A. cardenasi), ICG 11426 and ICGV8193 were selected for intensive artificial screening under glasshouse conditions and also confirmed resistance. The resistant lines will be useful to develop introgression lines using marker-assisted backcrossing approach to improve foliar fungal disease resistance in popular groundnut varieties.</div>

<div>Screening of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Genotypes for Identification of Sources of Resistance against Leaf Spot Disease</div>

<div>Rice is a plant that has been intensively breed, especially in Asia, most of the population&rsquo;s staple food is rice. There were Many types of rice varieties have been developed for high yeald production. Different rice diseases arise that many treat to reduce production. Such as curvularia spotting disease caused by the fungus Curvularia sp. Infection of Curvularia species causing leaf spots, leaf blights, kernel root, grain deformation and other diseases are well known globally. It was discovered that the small brown oval spots on the Ciherang rice variety cultivated in Bali, Indonesia was caused by Curvularia verruculosa. This disease could reduce the rice yield up to almost 50%. The application of commercial fungicide by the local farmers has not been satisfactorily successful in term of controlling the disease but instead bring damages to the environment and the soil as well. Farmer&rsquo;s safety is also another serious issue. The current studi develop a natural and green fungicide to check the efficacy of Piper caninum extract against the fungi. Research in the laboratory uses a completely randomized design and research in the field uses a randomized group design.The method of making leaf extracts uses maceration method. Diffusion well technique showed a strong inhibition of the abstract against the C. verruculosa with 22mm inhibition. Zone with a total inhibition of 4% extract concentration. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was low of 0.5%. Scanning electron images of the treated fungi showed hollow and wrinkled mycelia morphology indicating lysis of the cell has occurred. P. caninum leaf extract at a concentration of 3% provides the highest obstacle to the intensity of C. verruculosa disease, whereas in the treatment of leaf extract concentration p. caninum 4% intensity of C. verrucuosa disease has decreased because rice plants are toxic at a concentration of 4%. Further research is needed regarding the treatment of P. caninum leaf extract against C. verruculosa in rice fields.</div>

<div>Inhibitory Activity of Piper Caninum Leaf Extract against Curvularia Spotting Disease on Rice Plants</div>

<div>Background: Leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum (E. turcicum) is commonly or generally found on sorghum grown in the sub-tropics and tropical lowlands during summer. The pathogen is easily wind disseminated and apparently most consistent in their occurrence and severity across the diverse sorghum growing environments. The sweet sorghum variety SSV 74 was released by University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad for kharif season mainly for fodder purpose. This variety is also good for ethanol production and jaggery making. However, for the last several years this variety was showing its susceptibility to the leaf blight caused by E. turcicum and causes heavy losses both in fodder and its quality. Even though there are reports of the presence of leaf blight caused by E. turcicum on the grain sorghum, no precise information is available on the presence of the leaf blight on sweet sorghum in India as well as in the world and no information is available about the magnitude of losses caused by this disease. Hence, the experiment was conducted to assess the losses caused by the E. turcicum. 
 
Methods: An experiment on loss assessment in sweet sorghum due to leaf blight caused by E. turcicum was carried out at Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, during kharif 2017 using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications and seven treatments. Six treatments were imposed with hexaconazole at 0.1% besides a treatment with unsprayed control. 
 
Result: Lowest per cent disease index (PDI) (24.76%) as well as area under disease progressive curve (789.61) was observed in treatment involving six sprays of hexaconazole at 0.1% followed by five sprays, (PDI: 27.51%, AUDPC: 815.32) and four sprays T4 (PDI: 32.57%, AUDPC: 908.80). Highest fodder yield (46.47 t/ha), brix value (12.47%), crude fibre content (28.22%), leaf ash content (23.08%) and crude protein content (5.29%) was observed in treatment with six sprays of hexaconazole at 0.1%. With respect to the per cent increase over control, 17.47-37.20 per cent increase in fodder yield, 7.4-21.17 per cent in brix value, 11.64-9.66 per cent in crude fibre content, 12.74-62.91 per cent in leaf ash content and 4.36-13.00 per cent in crude protein content was observed at one spray to six sprays with hexaconazole at 0.1 per cent, respectively.</div>

Assessment of Losses in Sweet Sorghum Genotype (SSV 74) due to Leaf Blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum (Pass.) Leonard and Suggs

<div>Background: The pulses are important crop of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Among the pulses, mungbean is an important. Despite the multifaceted importance of this crop, its production could not be stabilized in the Uttar Pradesh as well as in the country due to several biotic constraints like diseases and insect-pests leading to considerable yield losses. Among several diseases affecting mungbean, cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by Cercospora canescens Ellis and Martin is one of the most important fungal diseases occurring regularly in the mungbean growing areas during the warm and humid weather. 
 
Methods: Experiments were conducted during two cropping seasons i.e. Kharif 2019 and 2020 to find out an efficient management strategy for this disease. In first experiment, 9 fungicides were assessed against CLS during both the seasons. In second experiment, 200 germplasm of mungbean were evaluated for resistance against cercospora leaf spot. 
 
Result: Among nine different fungicide treatments evaluated individually and as well as in combinations, spraying Carbendazim twice after first appearance of symptoms and second at 15 days&rsquo; interval, gave maximum reduction in the incidence and severity of Cercospora leaf spot i.e. 45.57% and 58.45%, respectively along with significant enhancement (53.39%) in grain yield over the unprotected crop followed by treatment with Carbendazim + Mancozeb which resulted in 35.44% and 52.65% reduction in incidence and severity respectively and 44.88% enhancement in yield. Treatment with Captan + Hexaconazole was found to be least effective to reduce the disease incidence/ severity as well as to increase the crop yield. In second field experiment out of 200 mungbean genotypes evaluated against cercospora leaf spot during two consecutive crop seasons, four genotypes viz., PDM 04-123, PDM 54, EC520034-1 and EC 520022 were found to be resistant against cercospora leaf spot disease.&nbsp;</div>

Management of Cercospora Leaf Spot of Mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] using Fungicides and Host Resistance in Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh, India

<div>Background: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the most nutritious crops having versatile use. Its yield is mostly exaggerated by two foliar fungal diseases i.e., early and late leaf spot. In present investigation 96 germplasm lines were screened for early and late leaf spot diseases along with diverse biochemical parameters including protein, oil, fatty acids, proline and sugar contents. 
 
Methods: Early and late leaf spot diseases have been screened under field condition as well as employing SSR molecular markers. Nutritional profiling has also been done for protein, oil, fatty acids viz., oleic acid, linoleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid, proline and sugar contents. 
 
Result: In correlation analysis, oleic acid is negatively correlated with linoleic acid (r= -0.911) and palmitic acid (r= -0.688) at 1% level of significance, whereas stearic acid is positively and highly significantly correlated with oil percentage (r=0.381) at 1% significance level. The gene diversity value varied between 0.1866 to 0.4837 for markers ipahm103 and GM1536 with an average of 0.4014 and polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged between 0.1692 to 0.3855 for the markers pahm103 to GM1536 respectively with a mean value of 0.3183.</div>