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>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: 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: Rice brown spot disease is caused by the fungus Bipolaris oryzae (Breda de Haan), which is one of the most significantly devastating diseases in rice. Nowadays, biological control agents and plant extracts as botanical fungicides are used to develop an alternative method to control this disease and reduce the use of synthetic fungicides. Therefore, the efficacy levels of Hydnocarpus anthelminthicus Pierre ex Laness., Crateva magna (Lour.) DC., Caesalpinia sappan L., Xanthophyllum lanceatum J. J. Sm. and Carallia brachiata (Lour.) Merr. crude extracts were tested in vitro against B. oryzae and their control of rice brown spot disease under greenhouse conditions.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Five plants namely; H. anthelminthicus, C. magna, C. sappan, X. lanceatum and C. brachiata were cleaned with tap water and air dried at 28&plusmn;2&deg;C then cut into small pieces and ground into fine powder and stored at 4&deg;C until used. Plant crude extracts was prepared using ethanol as solvent.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results showed that the H. anthelminthicus crude extract showed the best antifungal activity against B. oryzae at the highest dose tested, causing 93% mycelial growth inhibition. Under greenhouse testing, the application of the H. anthelminthicus, X. lanceatum, C. brachiata, C. magna and C. sappan crude extracts at a concentration of 50,000 ppm effectively suppressed and reduced rice brown spot incidence caused by B. oryzae when applied once 30 days after transplanting (DAT). Interestingly, the H. anthelminthicus crude extract at a concentration of 10,000 ppm displayed the greatest suppression of the development of rice brown spot disease in terms of disease incidence when applied twice 30 DAT and 45 DAT compared with unprotected control. The results of this study indicated that H. anthelminthicus could provide botanical fungicide protection against rice brown spot disease to reduce the use of synthetic fungicides.</div>

In vivo Testing of Plant Extracts in Controlling Rice Brown Spot Disease Through Folia Application

<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>

Genetic Diversity Analysis of Groundnut Germplasm Lines in Respect to Early and Late Leaf Spot Diseases and Biochemical Traits

<div style="text-align: justify;">Rice is one of the most widely consumed staple food for more than half of the population in the world. Brown spot caused by Helminthosporium oryzae accounts for 5% yield loss worldwide annually. Adversely affected fields show yield loss as high as 45%. The present study focuses on the several management aspects that are currently used to curb out the disease incidence and measures to be taken in near future for designing effective disease management protocol. The disease is of historic significance and a devasting outbroke in the Bengal Province during 1943 ended as the Great Bengal Famine resulting in starvation and an estimated demise of 2.1 to 3 million people. Brown spot is still devastating on looking the present scenario of damage to rice. Different approaches have been adopted ranging from the use of brown spot resistant rice cultivars, chemical ameliorations and biological control measures for the management of the disease. But, still the disease seems to be chronic and adverse in the current scenario. In this review, we have highlighted epidemiology, control measures practiced and several quantitative and qualitative gaps with respect to disease management, which if rectified, would lead to a strong impact on crop disease control and the sustainable Rice production that are pertinent to the present situation of farmers.</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">Status of Rice Brown Spot (Helminthosporium oryza) Management in India: A Review</div>

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of date of sowing on groundnut cultivars against late leaf spot disease severity, defoliation, frequency and size of the leaf spot which revealed that all these aspects were significantly influenced by the date of sowing and crop varieties which directly affect the pod yield and test weight. The crop sown early on 25th June exhibited maximum mean late leaf spot disease severity (range 43.63 to 54.05%), defoliation (range, 17.22 to 22.30%), frequency (range, 1.32 to 1.78 / mm2) and size (range, 1.49 to 1.56 / mm2) and thereby gave reduced pod yield (range, 1225 to 1720 kg/ha) and test weight (28.66 to 32.97 g) followed by 10th July and 25th July. Among the groundnut cultivars, susceptible cv. JL 24 exhibited maximum mean disease severity (range, 35.94 to 54.05 %), defoliation (range, 11.61 to 22.30 %), frequency (range, 1.23 to 1.78 / mm2) and size (range, 1.26 to 1.56 / mm2), followed by TAG 24 and TG 26. However, LGN 1 exhibited least mean disease severity, defoliation, frequency and size with the highest pod yield (ranges, 1720 to 2332 kg/ha) and test weight (ranges, 32.97 to 38.59 g). &nbsp;

Response of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars to late leaf spot disease (Passalora personata) under different sowing dates&nbsp;

<div>Background: Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a worldwide cultivated crop and is attacked by a complex of foliar diseases. Alternaria leaf spot has become quite a problem as it results in poor quality and low yield.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The experiment was conducted during 2021-22 with a total of four fungicides viz Carbendazim 12% + Mancozeb 63% WP, Hexaconazole 5% SC, Azoxystrobin 18.2% + Difenoconazole 12.5% W/V, Copper oxychloride 50% and three bio-control agents viz. Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma harzianum to evaluate their effectiveness against Alternaria leaf spot of spinach. Fungicides were evaluated at four concentrations viz 25, 50, 75 and 100 ppm for their efficacy.&nbsp; 
 
Result: All the tested chemicals and bioagents were effective to reduce the disease severity, but hexaconazole at 100 ppm was the most effective in controlling the radial growth (82.55% inhibition) followed by Azoxystrobin (79.97%). The study established the efficacy of fungicides and bio-agents against Alternaria leaf spot of spinach caused by Alternaria alternata. The levels of inhibition revealed the potential to manage pathogen and can be used for better yield and good quality product thereby minimizing risks of crop failures.</div>