PAT 302

Fungal Diseases
1. Blast: Richman’s disease or rotten neck disease
• Casual Organism: Pyricularia oryzae (Syn: P. grisea) (Sexual stage: Magnaporthe grisea)
• Symptoms: Attacks all crop stages. On leaves: spindle-shaped spots with grey center
and dark brown margin (Leaf blast). Severely infected nursery/ eld appear burnt. Black
lesions on nodes (nodal blast) cause breakage. Peduncle attack leads to brownish-black
lesion (rotten neck/neck blast).
• Pathogen: Conidia produced in clusters. Perfect state M. grisea produces perithecia;
ascospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Intermittent drizzles, cloudy weather, high RH (93-99%), low
night temp (15-20˚C or <26˚C), collateral hosts, excess nitrogen.
• Forecast for rice blast can be made on the basis of minimum night temperature range of
20-26˚C and high relative humidity of 90 per cent and above lasting for a period of a
week or more during any of the three susceptible phases of crop growth. Japan, rst leaf
blast forecasting model was developed named as BLAST. Forecast models (BLAST,
PYRICULARIA, etc.)
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection: airborne conidia. Secondary infection: irrigation water.
Inoculum from infected straw/seeds. Survives on collateral hosts (e.g., Panicum repens,
Echinochloa crusgalli).
• Management: Grow resistant/moderately resistant varieties (CO47, IR 20, ADT36,
ADT39, ASD 18, IR64); avoid susceptible (IR50, TKM6). Seed treatment: Captan/
Thiram/Carbendazim/Tricyclazole (2 g/kg) or Pseudomonas uorescens (10g/kg).
Nursery spray: Carbendazim (500mg/L) or Tricyclazole (300mg/L). Main eld spray:
Edifenphos (500 ml/ha), Carbendazim (500 g/ha), Tricyclazole (500 g/ha), or
Iprobenphos (IBP) (500 ml/ha).
2. Brown Spot: poorman’s disease due to potassium de ciency
• Casual Organism: Helminthosporium oryzae (Syn: Drechslera oryzae; Bipolaris oryzae)
(Sexual stage: Cochliobolus miyabeanus)
• Symptoms: Attacks seedling to milky stage. Minute spots,oval shaped :on coleoptile,
leaf blade, leaf sheath, glume. Spots become cylindrical/oval, dark brown with yellow
halo, later circular. nurseries appear scorched. Dark brown/black spots on glumes cause
grain discoloration.
• Pathogen: Brown septate mycelium. conidiophores. Perfect stage C. miyabeanus produces
perithecia with lamentous ascospores. Produces terpenoid phytotoxins, ophiobolin or
Cochliobolin phytotoxins (A, B, I), ophiobolin A most toxic.
• Favourable Conditions: Temperature 25-30˚C with RH > 80%. Excess nitrogen
aggravates.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection: infected seeds and stubbles (viable 2-3 years).
Airborne conidia infect plants. Survives on collateral hosts (e.g., Leersia hexandra,
Echinochloa colonum).
• Management: Field sanitation (remove collateral hosts/debris). Use slow-release
nitrogen. Grow tolerant varieties (Co44, Bhavani). Use disease-free seeds. Seed
treatment: Thiram/Captan (4 g/kg). Nursery spray: Edifenphos (40 ml) or Mancozeb (80
g). Main eld spray: Edifenphos (500 ml/ha) or Mancozeb (2 kg/ha), repeat if needed.
fi
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
fi
3. Narrow Brown Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora janseana (Sexual stage: Sphaerulina oryzina)
• Symptoms: Short, linear brown spots mostly on leaves, also on sheaths, pedicels,
glumes. Numerous spots in later crop stages.
4. Sheath Rot
• Casual Organism: Sarocladium oryzae (Syn: Acrocylindrium oryzae)
• Symptoms: Uppermost leaf sheath enclosing young panicles shows oblong/irregular
greyish-brown spots, enlarging to grey center and brown margins. Young panicles
remain within sheath or emerge partially. Panicles rot with whitish powdery fungal
growth inside.
• Pathogen: Conidia.
• Favourable Conditions: Closer planting, high nitrogen, high humidity and temp
(25-30˚C). Injuries by leaf folder, BPH, mites increase infection.
• Disease Cycle: Spreads mainly through airborne conidia, also seed-borne. Primary
inoculum from infected plant debris. Secondary spread by airborne conidia on leaf
sheath.
• Management: Spray Carbendazim (500g/ha), Edifenphos (1L/ha), or Mancozeb (2 kg/
ha) at boot leaf stage and 15 days later. Soil application of gypsum (500 kg/ha). Apply
NSKE 5% or neem oil 3% or Ipomoea/Prosopis leaf powder extract (25 Kg/ha).
5. Sheath Blight
• Casual Organism: Rhizoctonia solani (Sexual stage: Thanetophorus cucumeris)
• Symptoms: Affects tillering to heading stage. Initial symptoms on leaf sheaths near
water level. Oval/elliptical/irregular greenish-grey spots, enlarging to greyish-white
center with blackish-brown/purple-brown border. Lesions coalesce, covering entire
tillers. Severe cases cause death of whole leaf/plant. Poorly lled grain in heavily
infected plants. Older plants are highly susceptible.
• Pathogen: Septate mycelium (hyaline young, yellowish-brown old). Produces spherical
brown sclerotia.
• Favourable Conditions: High RH (96-97%), high temp (30-32˚C). Closer planting. Heavy
nitrogen.
• Disease Cycle: Survives as sclerotia/mycelium in dry soil (~20 months) or moist soil (5-8
months). Sclerotia spread via irrigation water. Wide host range.
• Management: Grow resistant varieties (Mansarovar, Swarau Dhan, Pankaj). Apply
organic amendments (neem cake 150Kg/ha or FYM 12.5 tons/ha). Avoid irrigation ow
from infected elds. Deep ploughing/burning stubbles. Spray Carbendazim (500 g/ha).
Soil application of P. uorescens (2.5 kg/ha). Foliar spray of P. uorescens (0.2%).
6. False Smut
• Casual Organism: Ustilaginoidea virens (Syn: Claviceps oryzae - sativa)
• Symptoms: Transforms individual ovaries/grains into greenish, velvety spore balls.
Only a few spikelets affected.
• Pathogen: Chlamydospores form as spherical to elliptical, warty, olivaceous spore balls.
• Favourable Conditions: Rainfall and cloudy weather during owering and maturity.
• Disease Cycle: Grasses and wild rice are alternate hosts. Main inoculum: airborne
spores. Ascospores from sclerotia are primary source; chlamydospores are secondary,
airborne, abundant at heading stage.
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
 7. Udbatta Disease
• Casual Organism: Ephelis oryzae (Sexual stage: Balansia oryzae-sativa)
• Symptoms: Appears at panicle emergence. Entire ear head converts to straight,
compact, cylindrical black spike-like structure, matted by fungal mycelium. Spikelets
cemented to central rachis, size reduced. Spike covered by greyish stroma with
immersed pycnidia.
• Pathogen: Pycnidiospores
• Management: Internally seed-borne. Hot water seed treatment (45˚C for 10 min).
Remove collateral hosts (e.g., Isachne elegans, Cynadon dactylon).
8. Stackburn Disease
• Casual Organism: Trichoconis padwickii (Syn: Alternaria padwickii)
• Symptoms: Affects leaves and ripening grains. Circular/oval spots with dark brown
margins on leaves; center turns light brown/white with minute dots. Reddish-brown
spots on glumes. Kernels may shrivel and become brittle.
• Management: Seed treatment: Thiram/Captan/Mancozeb (2g/kg). Hot water treatment
(54˚C for 15 min). Burn stubbles and straw.
9. Bunt or Kernel Smut or Black Smut
• Casual Organism: Tilletia barclayana
• Symptoms: Minute black pustules/streaks on grains, bursting at ripening. Grains
partially/entirely replaced by fungal spores. Sorus pushes glumes apart, exposing black
spore mass. Few owers infected.
• Disease Cycle: Fungus survives as chlamydospores for 1+ years (3 years in stored
grains).
10. Stem Rot
• Casual Organism: Sclerotium oryzae
• Symptoms: Small black lesions on outer leaf sheath, enlarging to inner sheath. Affected
tissues rot, abundant small black sclerotia visible. Culm collapses, plants lodge.
• Pathogen: White to greyish hyphae, spherical black and shiny sclerotia.
• Favourable Conditions: Infestation of leaf hoppers and stem borer. High doses of
nitrogenous fertilizers.
• Disease Cycle: Sclerotia survive in stubbles/straw, carried by irrigation water.
Overwinters/survives long periods as sclerotia in upper soil layers (2-3 inches). Half-life
~2 years; viable for up to 6 years. Buoyant sclerotia oat to oodwater surface, infect
tillers near water line.
• Management: Deep ploughing/burning stubbles. Balanced fertilizer. Avoid irrigation
ow from infected to healthy elds. Drain irrigation water, let soil dry.
11. Foot Rot or Bakanae Disease or Foolish seedling disease
• Casual Organism: Fusarium moniliforme (Sexual stage: Gibberella fujikuroi)
• Symptoms: Infected nursery seedlings lean, lanky, taller, die. Main eld plants have tall,
lanky tillers with longer internodes, aerial adventitious roots. Fibrous, bushy root
system. Plants killed before earhead formation or produce sterile spikelets. White
mycelial growth in split culm.
• Pathogen: Produces macroconidia (sickle-shaped, 2-5 celled) and microconidia (hyaline,
single-celled, oval). Produces fusaric acid phytotoxin (non-host speci c).
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fi
 • Management: Externally seed-borne. Seed treatment: Thiram/Captan/Carbendazim (2
g/kg).
12. Grain Discoloration
• Casual Organism: Drechslera oryzae
• Symptoms: Grains infected pre/post-harvest, causing discoloration (red, yellow, orange,
pink, black). External/internal infection of glumes/kernels. Dark brown/black spots on
grains.
• Favourable Conditions: High humidity and cloudy weather during heading stage.
• Disease Cycle: Spreads mainly through airborne conidia. Fungus survives as parasite/
saprophyte in infected grains, plant debris, other crop debris.

Bacterial Diseases
13. Bacterial Leaf Blight: called killer disease
• Casual Organism: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
• Symptoms: Usually noticed at heading. Nursery seedlings show circular, yellow
marginal spots, enlarging/coalescing, drying foliage. "Kresek" symptom in seedlings
(1-2 weeks post-transplanting): bacteria enter cut wounds, become systemic, kill
seedling. Grown-up plants: water-soaked, translucent lesions near leaf margin,
enlarging, wavy margin, turning straw yellow, covering leaf. Milky/opaque dew drops
(bacterial masses) on young lesions, drying to white encrustation. Discolored spots on
affected grains. Cut leaf end in water becomes turbid from bacterial ooze.
• Pathogen: Aerobic, gram-negative
• Favourable Conditions: Clipping seedling tips at transplanting. Heavy rain, heavy dew,
ooding, deep irrigation water. Severe wind and temp (25-30 C). Excessive nitrogen,
especially late top dressing.
• Disease Cycle: Infected seeds not major inoculum source. Pathogen survives in soil,
infected stubbles, collateral hosts (e.g., Leersia spp., Cyanodon dactylon). Spreads via
irrigation water, rain storms.
• Management: Burn stubbles. Optimum fertilizer. Avoid clipping seedling tips at
transplanting. Avoid ooded conditions. Remove weed hosts. Grow resistant cultivars
(IR 20, TKM 6). Spray Streptomycin sulphate + tetracycline (300g) + Copper
oxychloride (1.25 Kg/ha).
14. Bacterial Leaf Streak
• Casual Organism: Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola
• Symptoms: Fine translucent streaks on veins, enlarging lengthwise, infecting larger
veins, turning brown. Bacterial ooze forms small yellow band-like exudates under
humid conditions. Leaves dry up in severe cases.
• Management: Burn stubbles. Optimum fertilizer. Avoid clipping seedling tips at
transplanting. Avoid ooded conditions. Remove weed hosts. Grow resistant cultivars
(IR 20, TKM 6). Spray Streptomycin sulphate + tetracycline (300g) + Copper oxychloride
(1.25 Kg/ha).

Viral Diseases
15. Rice Tungro Disease (RTD)
fl
fl
fl
• Casual Organism: Rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) and Rice tungro spherical virus
(RTSV)
• Symptoms: Markedly stunted plants. Yellow to orange discoloration, interveinal
chlorosis on leaves. Young leaves mottled, older leaves with rusty spots. Reduced
tillering, poor root system. Panicles small, deformed, chaffy, or not formed in early
infection.
• Pathogen: Two morphologically unrelated viruses in phloem cells: RTBV (bacilliform,
dsDNA) and RTSV (isometric, ssRNA).
• Disease Cycle: Transmitted mainly by Green leaf hopper Nephotettix virescens (semi-
persistent). RTSV alone can be symptomless/mild stunting. RTBV enhances RTSV
symptoms. RTSV acquired independently, RTBV acquisition depends on RTSV (helper
virus). Both thrive in rice/weed hosts (inoculum source). Ratoon from infected stubble
are reservoirs. Incidence depends on cultivars, planting time, infection time, vectors,
weather.
• Management: Field sanitation, remove weed hosts/vectors. Grow tolerant cultivars
(Pankhari203, IR50, Co45). Nursery vector control: Carbofuran (170 g/cent). Main eld
vector control: Spray Phosphomidan (500 ml/ha) or Monocrotophos (1 lit/ha) or Neem
oil 3% or NSKE 5%. Light traps.
16. Rice Grassy Stunt Disease
• Casual Organism: Rice grassy stunt tenuivirus
• Symptoms: Markedly stunted plants with excessive tillering, erect growth. Leaves
narrow, pale green with small rusty spots. Few small panicles with dark brown un lled
grains may be produced.
• Pathogen: ssRNA genome.
• Disease Cycle: Spreads by brown plant hopper Nilaparvata lugens (persistent
transmission). Ratoon crop and vector perpetuate disease.
• Management: Not speci ed in the provided content.
17. Rice Dwarf
• Casual Organism: Rice dwarf virus
• Symptoms: Stunted growth, reduced tillering, poor root system. Leaves show chlorotic
specks turning to streaks along veins. No ear heads in early infection.
• Pathogen: dsRNA genome.
• Disease Cycle: Spreads by leafhopper feeding (Nephotettix cincticeps, Recllia dorsalis, N.
nigropictus) (persistent transmission). Transovarial transmission through eggs.
Gramineous weeds (e.g., Echinochloa crusgalli, Panicum miliaceaum) serve as inoculum
source.
• Management: Destroy weed hosts. Spray Phosphamidon or Fenthinon (500 ml/ha) or
Monocrotophos (1 lit/ha).
18. Rice Ragged Stunt Disease
• Casual Organism: Rice ragged stunt virus
• Symptoms: Ragged leaves with irregular margins, vein swelling, enations on leaf veins.
Stunting, delayed owering, nodal branches, incomplete panicle emergence.
• Pathogen: dsRNA genome.
• Disease Cycle: Spreads through brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (persistent
transmission).
fl
fi
fi
fi
19. Rice Yellow Dwarf Disease
• Casual Organism: Phytoplasma (Candidatus Phytoplasma oryzae)
• Symptoms: Prominent stunting, excessive tillering. Leaves yellowish-green to whitish-
green, soft, droop. Plants usually sterile, sometimes small panicles with un lled grains.
• Disease Cycle: Transmitted by leafhopper vectors Nephotettix sp. (25-30 day latent
period). Pathogen survives on grass weeds.
• Management: Deep ploughing/burning stubbles. Rice varieties IR62 and IR64 are
moderately resistant. Management practices for Rice Tungro disease also apply.

Diseases of Sorghum
1. Downy Mildew
• Casual Organism: Peronosclerospora sorghi
• Symptoms: Systemic downy mildew. Chlorotic streaks on leaves, abundant white
downy growth on lower leaf surface. Subsequent leaves show bleaching, necrosis, and
shredding as oospores are released.
• Pathogen: Obligate parasite, systemic. Sporangiophores Oospores
• Favourable Conditions: 100% RH, optimum night temp 21-23°C. Light drizzling with
cool weather.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection by soil oospores (viable for years). Secondary spread
by airborne sporangia. Mycelium in infected seeds and collateral hosts (Heteropogon
centortus) are also sources.
• Management: Crop rotation (pulses, oilseeds), rogue infected plants, resistant varieties
(Co25, Co26). Seed treatment with Metalaxyl (6 g/kg). Spray Metalaxyl (500 g/ha),
Mancozeb (2 kg/ha), Ziram (1 kg/ha), or Zineb (1 kg/ha).
2. Leaf Blight
• Casual Organism: Exerohilum turcicum (Syn: Helminthosporium turcicum)
• Symptoms: Small, narrow, elongated spots on leaves, extending along length. On older
plants, long elliptical necrotic lesions, straw-colored center with dark margins. burnt
appearance.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores ;Conidia
• Favourable Conditions: Cool, moist weather, high humidity (90%), high rainfall.
• Disease Cycle: Pathogen persists in infected plant debris. Seed-borne conidia cause
seedling infection. Secondary spread through wind-borne conidia.
• Management: Disease-free seeds. Seed treatment with Captan or Thiram (4 g/kg). Spray
Mancozeb (1.25 kg/ha) or Captafol (1 kg/ha).
3. Rectangular Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora sorghi
• Symptoms: Small leaf spots enlarge to rectangular lesions on leaves/sheaths, typically
lower leaves. Dark red to purplish with lighter centers, vein-limited.
• Pathogen:Conidiophores;Conidia
• Favourable Conditions: Cool, moist weather, high humidity (90%), high rainfall.
• Disease Cycle: Conidia survive up to 5 months. Spreads through airborne and seed-
borne conidia.
• Management: Disease-free seeds. Seed treatment with Captan or Thiram (4 g/kg). Spray
Mancozeb (2 kg/ha).
fi
 4. Anthracnose and Red Rot
• Casual Organism: Colletotrichum graminicolum
• Symptoms: Leaf spot (anthracnose) and stalk rot (red rot). Small red spots on leaves
(white center, red/purple/brown margin). Black dots (acervuli) on white lesion surface.
Red rot: circular cankers, especially in in orescence. Split stems show continuous or
marbled discoloration.
• Pathogen: Acervuli with setae. Conidia
• Favourable Conditions: Continuous rain, temp 28-30°C, high humidity.
• Disease Cycle: Spreads by seed-borne and airborne conidia, and infected plant debris.
• Management: Seed treatment with Captan or Thiram (4 g/kg). Spray Mancozeb (2 kg/
ha). 1
5. Rust
• Casual Organism: Puccinia purpurea
• Symptoms: Small ecks (purple, tan, red) on lower leaves. Purplish uredosori on both
leaf surfaces, rupturing to release reddish powdery uredospores. Later, darker, longer
teliosori. Pustules on leaf sheaths and in orescence stalks.
• Pathogen: Uredospores&Teliospores Basidiospores infect Oxalis corniculata(alternate
host) for pycnial and aecial stages.
• Favourable Conditions: Low temp (10-12°C) for teliospore germination. Rainy weather
favors onset.
• Disease Cycle: Uredospores survive short time in soil/debris. Alternate host helps
perpetuation.
• Management: Remove alternate host Oxalis corniculata. Spray Mancozeb (2 kg/ha).
6. Smuts
• Casual Organisms:
◦
Grain Smut: Sphacelotheca sorghi
◦
Loose Smut: Sphacelotheca cruenta
◦
Long Smut: Tolyposporium ehrenbergii
◦
Head Smut: Sphacelotheca reiliana
• Symptoms:
◦
Grain Smut: Individual grains replaced by oval/cylindrical sori covered with tough
creamy skin, often persisting until threshing. Higher incidence in ratoon crops.
◦
Loose Smut: Affected plants shorter, thinner stalks, marked tillering. Ears emerge
earlier. Glumes hypertrophied, loose earhead appearance.
◦
Long Smut: Restricted to few orets. Sori long, cylindrical, relatively thick creamy-
brown covering membrane (peridium).
◦
Head Smut: Entire head replaced by large sori. Sorus covered by whitish-grey
membrane ruptures before head emerges, exposing brown smut spores embedded in
dark laments.
• Management (for all smuts): Seed treatment with Captan or Thiram (4 g/kg).
7. Ergot or Sugary Disease
• Casual Organism: Sphacelia sorghi
• Symptoms: The disease is con ned to individual spikelets. Secretion of honey dew from
infected orets. Under favorable conditions cream to light brown hard sclerotia develop.
Honey dew often colonized by Crerebella sorghivulgaris, blackening head.
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
 • Pathogen: Honey dew is concentrated suspension of single-celled, hyaline, elliptic/
oblong conidia.
• Favourable Conditions: High rainfall and humidity during owering. Cool night temp
and cloudy weather.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection from germinating sclerotia releasing ascospores that
infect ovary. Secondary spread by airborne/insect-borne conidia. Rain splashes aid
spread.
• Management: Adjust sowing date to avoid owering during Sept-Oct (high rainfall/
humidity). Spray Mancozeb (2 kg/ha) or Carbendazim (500 g/ha) at ear head emergence
(5-10% owering), repeat at 50% owering and after a week if needed.
8. Head Mould/Grain Mould/Head Blight
• Symptoms: Severe grain moulding if rains occur during owering/grain lling.
Fusarium semitectum and F. moniliforme cause uffy white/pinkish coloration. C. lunata
colors grain black. Symptoms vary by organism/infection degree.
• Favourable Conditions: Wet weather following owering. Longer wet periods increase
mould. Compact ear heads highly susceptible.
• Disease Cycle: Fungi mainly spread through airborne conidia. Survive as parasites/
saprophytes in infected plant debris.
• Management: Adjust sowing time. Spray Mancozeb (1 kg/ha) or Captan (1 kg) +
Aureofungin-sol (100 g/ha) during intermittent rainfall during earhead emergence, a
week later, and milky stage.
9. Phanerogamic Parasite
• Casual Organism: Striga asiatica and Striga densi ora
• Symptoms: Partial root parasite, mainly in rainfed sorghum. Small plant (15-30 cm) with
bright green leaves, growing in clusters (10-20/host). S. asiatica produces red/pink
owers; S. densi ora produces white owers. Severe infestation causes yellowing/wilting
of host leaves, stunted growth, potential death before seed setting.
• Management: Regular weeding and intercultural operations during early parasite
growth. Spray Fernoxone (sodium salt of 2, 4-D) at 450g/500 liters water.
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
Diseases of Bajra (Pearl Millet)
1. Downy Mildew
• Casual Organism: Sclerospora graminicola
• Symptoms: Systemic infection on leaves/in orescence. Seedlings (3-4 leaf stage) show
light green/yellow patches on upper leaf surface, white downy growth on lower. Yellow
discoloration turns to streaks, young plants dry/die. In orescence malformed into leafy
structures ("green ear"). Necrotic tissues contain oospores.
• Pathogen: sporangiophores - sporangia. Oospores
• Favourable Conditions: Very high humidity (90%), water on leaves, low temp (15-25°C)
favor sporangiophore/sporangia formation.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection by soil oospores (viable 5+ years). Secondary spread by
sporangia during rainy season. Dormant mycelium in infected seeds also a source.
• Management: Deep ploughing to bury oospores. Seed treatment with Metalaxyl (6g/
kg). Spray Mancozeb (2 kg/ha) or Metalaxyl + Mancozeb (1 kg/ha) on 20th day after
sowing.
2. Smut
• Casual Organism: Tolyposporium penicillariae
• Symptoms: Infects few orets, transforming them into plump sori containing smut
spores. Sori larger than healthy grains, turn dark brown.
• Pathogen: Fungus con ned to sorus. Spores in groups
• Favourable Conditions: High relative humidity. Successive cropping with pearlmillet.
• Disease Cycle: Pathogen survives as spore balls in soil (primary inoculum). Secondary
spread by airborne conidia.
fi
fl
fl
fl
 3. Rust
• Casual Organism: Puccinia pennisetti
• Symptoms: Symptoms mostly on distal half of lamina. Uredospore- teliospore
• Pathogen: Macrocyclic, producing uredial/telial stages on pearlmillet and aecial/
pycnial stages on brinjal.
• Favourable Conditions: Closer spacing. Abundant brinjal plants and other Solanum
species (S. torvum, S. xanthocarpum, S. pubescens).
• Disease Cycle: Airborne uredospores are primary source. Uredial stages on Pennisetum
species aid secondary spread.
• Management: Spray Wettable Sulphur (3 kg/ha) or Mancozeb (2 kg/ha).
4. Ergot or Sugary Disease
• Casual Organism: Claviceps fusiformis
• Symptoms: Exudation of small droplets of light pinkish/brownish honey dew from
infected spikelets. Severe infection leads to abundant honey dew trickling along earhead,
attracting insects. Later, infected ovary turns into small dark brown sclerotium projecting
from spikelet.
• Pathogen: conidiophores-Conidia. Sclerotia
• Disease Cycle: Sclerotia viable in soil for 6-8 months. Primary infection from
germinating soil sclerotia. Secondary spread by insects or airborne conidia. Rain
splashes aid spread. Collateral hosts (Cenchrus ciliaris, C. setigerus) signi cant. Infects
other Pennisetum species.
• Management: Adjust sowing date to avoid owering during September (high rainfall/
humidity). Immerse seeds in 10% common salt solution to remove oating sclerotia.
Remove collateral hosts. Spray Carbendazim (500g/ha) or Mancozeb (2 kg/ha) or Ziram
(1kg/ha) at 5-10% owering, repeat at 50% owering.
5. Minor Diseases
• Grain mould: Fungal complex. Grains covered with white, pink or black moulds.
• Blast: Pyricularia setariae. Diamond shaped to circular lesions with dark brown margins
and chlorotic haloes.
• Zonate leaf spot: Gloeocercospora sp. Rough circular lesions with alternating concentric
bands of straw and brown colour, often coalescing.
• Banded leaf spot: Rhizoctonia spp. Patches of light and dark, discoloured areas, often
bearing uffy to light brown fungal mats.

Diseases of Maize
1. Downy Mildew/Crazy Top
• Casual Organism: Peronosclerospora sorghi, Sclerophthora macrospora, Sclerospora
graminicola, Peronosclerospora maydis, Peronosclerospora sacchari
• Symptoms: Chlorotic streaks on leaves. Stunted, bushy appearance due to shortened
internodes. White downy growth on lower leaf surface and bracts of unopened male
owers. Small to large leaves in tassel. Proliferation of auxiliary buds on tassel/cob stalk
("Crazy top").
• Pathogen: White downy growth (sporangiophores and sporangia) on both leaf surfaces.
sporangia (conidia). Oospores
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
• Favourable Conditions: Low temp (21-33˚C), high RH (90%), drizzling. Young plants
highly susceptible.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection by soil oospores (viable up to 10 years) or dormant
mycelium in infected seeds. Secondary spread by airborne conidia. Sporangia produced
at night, fragile, viable for few hours. Germination requires free water. Oospores
produced as crop senesces.
• Management: Deep ploughing. Crop rotation with pulses. Rogue infected plants. Seed
treatment with Metalaxyl (6g/kg). Spray Metalaxyl + Mancozeb (1kg/ha) on 20th day
after sowing. Resistant varieties/hybrids (CO1, COH1, COH2).
2. Leaf Blight
• Casual Organism: Helminthosporium maydis (Syn: H. turcicum)
• Symptoms: Small yellowish round/oval spots on young leaves, enlarging to elliptical,
straw to grayish-brown spots with dark margins. Spots coalesce, giving blighted
appearance.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores - Conidia
• Favourable Conditions: Optimum temp for conidia germination 8-27˚C with free water
on leaf. Infection early in wet season.
• Disease Cycle: Seed-borne fungus. Also infects sorghum, wheat, barley, oats, sugarcane.
Spores associated with seeds of green gram, black gram, cowpea, etc.
• Management: Disease-free seeds. Seed treatment with Captan or Thiram (4 g/kg). Spray
Mancozeb (2 kg/ha) or Captan (1 kg/ha).
3. Rust
• Casual Organism: Puccinia sorghi
• Favourable Conditions: Cool temperature and high relative humidity.
• Disease Cycle: Primary inoculum from uredospores surviving on alternate hosts (Oxalis
corniculata, Euchlaena mexicana).
• Management: Remove alternate hosts. Spray Mancozeb (2 kg/ha).
4. Head Smut
• Casual Organism: Sphacelotheca reiliana
• Symptoms: Large smut sori replace cob and tassel. Tassel sometimes partially/wholly
converted to sorus. remain greener than healthy.
• Pathogen: Smut spores reddish-brown to black
• Favourable Conditions: Low temperature favors more infection. Also infects sorghum.
• Disease Cycle: Smut spores viable for two years. Externally seed-borne and soil-borne.
Major source: soil-borne chlamydospores.
• Management: Field sanitation. Crop rotation with pulses. Seed treatment with Captan or
Thiram (4 g/kg).
5. Charcoal Rot
• Casual Organism: Macrophomina phaseolina (Rhizoctonia bataticola)
• Symptoms: Wilting. Stalks with grayish streaks. Pith shredded, grayish-black minute
sclerotia on vascular bundles. Stalks break at crown. Shredding of root bark, root system
disintegration.
• Pathogen: Large number of round, black sclerotia. Sometimes pycnidia on stems/stalks.
• Favourable Conditions: High temperature and low soil moisture (drought).
• Disease Cycle: Wide host range (sorghum, pearlmillet, ngermillet, pulses). Survives
>16 years in infected plant debris. Primary infection by soil-borne sclerotia. Facultative
parasite, lives saprophytically on dead organic tissues, producing sclerotia. Overwinters
as sclerotia in soil, infects roots, proceeds to stem.
• Management: Long crop rotation with non-host crops. Irrigate at earhead emergence to
maturity. Seed treatment with Carbendazim or Captan (2 g/kg). Tolerant varieties
(SN-65, SWS-8029, Diva, Zenit).

Diseases of Finger Millet (Ragi)

1. Blast
• Casual Organism: Pyricularia grisea
• Symptoms: Infection at all stages.
◦
Leaf blast: Spindle-shaped spots on leaves (gray centers, reddish-brown margins),
severe in tillering phase.
◦
Node blast: Blackening of nodal region, nodes break, parts above die.
◦
Neck blast: Neck below earhead turns sooty black, breaks. Early infection: chaffy
earhead, no grain set.
• Pathogen: conidiophores/conidia
• Disease Cycle: Seed-borne fungus. Primary infection through seed-borne conidia,
diseased plants, stubbles, weeds. Secondary spread through air-borne conidia.
• Favourable Conditions: High nitrogen. Low night (20°C) and day (30°C) temperatures
with high RH (92-95%), rain/drizzles. Collateral hosts (bajra, wheat, barley, oats).
• Management: Seed treatment with Captan/Thiram (3g/kg) or Carbendazim (2 g/kg).
Resistant varieties (Ratnagiri, Padmavati, Gowtami, Godavari). Spray Carbendazim
(0.2%)
2. Smut
• Casual Organism: Melanopsichium eleusinis
fi
• Economic Importance: Minor importance, found in speci c areas of Karnataka and
Maharashtra.
• Symptoms: Appears during kharif at grain setting. Few scattered grains in head
attacked, transformed into globose galls - greenish then black. Sorus ruptures, releasing
black spore mass.
• Pathogen: Fungus mostly con ned to spikelets (hyphae with thickened cells or
chlamydospores).
• Disease Cycle: Mainly air-borne, infecting few spikelets. Spores released from sac or
reach soil after harvest. Following season, spores germinate to produce airborne
sporidia, infecting spikelets.
• Management: Crop rotation. Rouging and destruction of affected earheads. Grow
resistant varieties.

Diseases of Groundnut
1. Tikka Leaf Spots
• Casual Organisms: Early leaf spot: Cercospora arachidicola (Sexual Stage: Mycosphaerella
arachidis); Late leaf spot: Phaeoisariopsis personata (Syn: Cercospora personata) (Sexual stage:
Mycosphaerella berkeleyii).
• Symptoms: Occurs on all above-ground parts, more severely on leaves. Lesions on
petiole, stem, pegs. C. arachidicola causes circular to irregular, dark brown to black spots,
often with yellow halo, on upper leaf surface. P. personata causes darker, more circular
spots on lower leaf surface.
•
fi
fi
• Pathogen:
◦
C. arachidicola: Perfect stage produces globose perithecia with 8 ascospores.
◦
P. personata: Perfect stage produces globose/ovate perithecia with 8 ascospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Prolonged high RH (3 days), low temp (20°C) with dew, heavy
N and P fertilizers, Mg de ciency.
• Disease Cycle: Survives long in infected plant debris (conidia, dormant mycelium,
perithecia) in soil. Primary infection by ascospores/conidia from debris/infected seeds.
Secondary spread by wind-blown conidia. Rain splash aids spread.
• Management: Control weeds. Seed treatment: Carbendazim/Thiram (2g/kg). Spray
Carbendazim (500g) or Mancozeb (2 kg) or Chlorothalonil (2 kg/ha), repeat after 15 days
if needed.
2. Rust
• Casual Organism: Puccinia arachidis.
fi
• Symptoms: Attacks all aerial parts, usually when plants are ~6 weeks old. Small brown
to chestnut dusty pustules (uredosori) on lower leaf surface, rupturing to expose
powdery uredospores. Corresponding necrotic brown spots on upper surface. Pustules
on petioles/stem. Later, brown teliosori appear.
• Pathogen: Produces uredial and telial stages (uredial abundant, telial limited). Pycnial/
aecial stages not recorded, alternate host role unknown.
• Favourable Conditions: High RH (>85%), heavy rainfall, low temp (20-25°C).1
• Disease Cycle: Survives as uredospores on volunteer groundnut plants and in infected
plant debris. Spread mainly by wind-borne uredospores. Also spreads via contaminated
seeds/pods, rainsplash, implements. Survives on collateral hosts (Arachis marginata, A.
nambyquarae, A. prostrate).
• Management: Avoid monoculturing. Remove volunteer groundnut plants/reservoir
hosts. Spray Mancozeb (2 kg) or Wettable Sulphur (3 kg) or Tridemorph (500ml) or
Chlorothalonil (2 kg/ha). Grow moderately resistant varieties like ALR 1
3. Collar Rot or Seedling Blight or Crown Rot
• Casual Organisms: Aspergillus niger and A. pulverulentum.
• Symptoms: Three phases:
◦
Pre-emergence rot:
◦
Post-emergence rot:
◦
Crown rot: Infection in adult plants. Large lesions on stem below soil, spreading
upwards along branches, causing drooping/wilting.
• Pathogen: Conidia
• Favourable Conditions: Deep sowing, high soil temp (30-35˚C), low soil moisture.
• Disease Cycle: Survives in plant debris in soil. Soil-borne conidia cause carry-over.
Infected seeds are another primary source (seed-borne).
• Management: Seed treatment: & Soil application: Trichoderma viride/T. harzianum(2.5kg/
ha) with organic amendments (castor/neem/mustard cake @ 500 kg/ha).
4. Root Rot
• Casual Organism: Macrophomina phaseolina.
5. Rosette
• Casual Organisms: Groundnut rosette assistor virus (GRAV), Groundnut rosette virus,
Groundnut rosette satellites.
• Symptoms: Dense clump/dwarf shoots with tuft of small leaves (rosette fashion).
Chlorosis, mosaic mottling. Stunted plants, produce owers but few pegs develop nuts,
no seed formation.
• Pathogen: Groundnut rosette virus: ssRNA, aphid transmission
• Disease Cycle: Primary spread by aphid vector (Aphis craccivora, A. gossipii) Not
mechanically/seed/pollen transmitted. Survives on volunteer groundnut plants/weed
hosts.
• Management: Clean cultivation. Heavy seed rate. Spray Monocrotophos/Methyl
demeton (500 ml/ha).
6. Groundnut Bud Necrosis Disease
• Casual Organism: Groundnut bud necrosis virus (GBNV- Tospo virus).
fl
• Symptoms: 2-6 weeks post-infection: ring spots on leaves. Newly emerging leaves small,
rounded/pinched inwards, Necrotic spots/irregular lesions on leaves/petioles. Stem
shows necrotic streaks. Stunted plant, short internodes/auxillary shoots.
• Pathogen: ssRNA
• Disease Cycle: Perpetuates in weed hosts (Bidens pilosa, Erigon bonariensis, Tagetes minuta,
Trifolium subterraneum). Transmitted by thrips (Thrips palmi, T. tabaci, Frankliniella sp.).
• Management: Plant spacing 15x15 cm. Remove/destroy infected plants up to 6 weeks
after sowing. Apply Monocrotophos (500 ml/ha) 30 days after sowing (alone or with
AVP from sorghum/coconut leaves). Spray 10% AVP (500 lit/ha) 10 and 20 days after
sowing.
7. Stem Rot
• Casual Organism: Sclerotium rolfsii.
• Symptoms: Sudden drying of branch in contact with soil. Leaves turn brown/dry but
remain attached. White fungal mycelium near soil on stems.
8. Wilt
• Casual Organisms: Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani.
• Symptoms: Germinating seeds attacked, tissue disintegration, sporulating mycelium on
seedling surface. Damping-off: brown to dark brown, water-soaked, sunken lesions on
hypocotyl
• Management: Seed treatment: systemic fungicides like Carbendazim (2g/kg).1
9. Anthracnose
• Casual Organisms: Colletotrichum dematium and C. capsici.
• Symptoms: Small water-soaked yellowish spots on lower leaves, turning circular brown
lesions with yellow margin. Brownish-grey lesions on both lea et surfaces. Infection
spreads to stipules, petioles, branches.
• Disease Cycle: Seed, soil, and air-borne.
• Management: Deep summer ploughing. Use healthy certi ed seeds. Remove plant
debris. Seed treatment: copper oxychloride (3g/kg) or carbendazim (2g/kg).
10. Yellow Mould
• Casual Organism: Aspergillus avus.
• Symptoms: Seed/un-emerged seedlings shrivel/dry rapidly. Brown/black mass covered
by yellow/greenish spores.
• Management: Seed treatment: carbendazim/captan/thiram (2g/kg).
11. Grey Mould
• Casual Organism: Botrytis cinerea.
12. Bacterial Wilt
• Casual Organism: Pseudomonas solanacearum.
13. Leaf Spot
• Casual Organisms: Alternaria arachidis and A. tenuissima.
• Symptoms: A. arachidis: brown, irregular lesions with yellowish halos.
14. Indian Peanut Clump Disease
• Casual Organism: Peanut Clump virus.
• Symptoms: Leaves turn very dark, plants severely stunted.
• Transmission: Soil-borne, transmitted by fungus Polymyxa graminis (pH affects
transmission). Also seed-transmitted, ssRNA genome.
fl
fi
fl
15. Other Minor Virus Diseases: Peanut chlorotic streak (Caulimovirus, India), Peanut
green mosaic and mottle (Potyvirus), Peanut stunt (Cucumovirus), Groundnut chlorotic
spot (Potexvirus), Groundnut eye spot (Potyvirus), Groundnut ringspot.1

Diseases of Soybean
1. Dry Root Rot
• Symptoms: Yellowing/drooping of leaves, then fall, plant dies within week. Dark brown
lesions on stem at ground level, bark shredding. Plant easily pulled, leaving rotten root.
Minute black sclerotia in rotten tissues. Brown dots (pycnidial stage) on stem.
• Pathogen: sclerotia.. Pycnidiospores
• Favourable Conditions: Day temp 30˚C. Prolonged dry season followed by irrigation.
• Disease Cycle: Survives in infected debris/as facultative parasite in soil. Primary
spread: seed-borne/soil-borne sclerotia. Secondary spread: airborne pycnidiospores.
• Management: Seed treatment: Carbendazim/Thiram (2 g/kg) or Trichoderma viride (4 g/
kg) or Pseudomonas uorescens (10g/kg). Apply FYM/green leaf manure (Gliricidia
maculata) (10 t/ha) or neem cake (150 kg/ha).
2. Wilt
• Symptoms: Appear ~6 weeks old. Pale green, accid leaves, soon turn yellow. Stunted
growth, chlorosis, drooping, premature shedding/withering of leaves with veinal
necrosis. Brownish, purple discoloration of cortical area,
• Pathogen: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tracheiphilum.
• Favourable Conditions: Temp 20-25˚C, moist humid weather.
• Disease Cycle: Survives in infected stubbles. Primary spread: soil-borne
chlamydospores/infected seeds. Secondary spread: conidia by irrigation water.
• Management: Seed treatment: Carbendazim/Thiram (2 g/kg) or Trichoderma viride (4 g/
kg). Spot drench: Carbendazim (0.5 g/litre).
3. Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora sojina.
• Symptoms: Light to dark gray/brown areas (specks to large blotches) on seeds.
Primarily affects foliage, also stems, pods, seeds. Leaf lesions circular/angular, initially
brown then light brown/ash grey with dark margins.
• Favourable Conditions: Fungus survives in infected seeds/debris. Warm, humid
weather.
• Management: Rotate soybean with cereals. Remove plant residue by clean ploughing.
Seed treatment: Thiram + Carbendazim (1:1) (2g/kg). Spray Mancozeb (2g/L) or
Carbendazim (500 mg/L).
4. Mosaic
• Casual Organism: Soybean mosaic virus (SMV).
• Symptoms: Stunted plants with distorted (puckered, crinkled, ruf ed, narrow) leaves.
Fewer/smaller pods. Mottled/deformed infected seeds. Infected seeds fail to germinate
or produce diseased seedlings.
• Pathogen: Potyvirus. ssRNA genome.
• Disease Cycle: Seed-borne. Transmitted by sap, 32 aphid species.
• Favourable Conditions: Temp ~18˚C, humid weather.
fl
fl
fl
 • Management: Pre-sowing soil application: Phorate (10 kg/ha). Foliar sprays:
Thiamethoxam 25 WG (100 g/ha) or Methyl demeton (800 ml/ha) at 30 and 45 days after
sowing.

Diseases of Castor
1. Seedling Blight
• Casual Organism: Phytophthora parasitica.
• Symptoms: Circular, dull green patch on cotyledon leaves, spreading to cause rotting.
• Pathogen: Sporangiophores emerge through stomata Sporangia germinate to produce
abundant zoospores. Produces oospores/chlamydospores in adverse seasons.
• Favourable Conditions: Continuous rainy weather. Low temp (20-25˚C). Low-lying/ill-
drained soils.
• Disease Cycle: Survives in soil as chlamydospores/oospores (primary source). Survives
on other hosts (potato, tomato, brinjal, sesamum). Secondary spread: wind-borne
sporangia.
• Management:Avoid low-lying/ill-drained elds. Seed treatment: thiram/captan (4g/
kg).
2. Rust
• Casual Organism: Melampsora ricini.
• Symptoms: Minute, orange-yellow, raised pustules with powdery masses on lower leaf
surface. Corresponding yellow areas on upper surface. Pustules often grouped in
concentric rings, coalesce, causing leaf drying.
• Pathogen: Produces only uredosori in castor plants (other stages unknown).
• Disease Cycle: Survives in self-sown castor crops off-season. Also on other Ricinus
species, Euphorbia obtusifolia, E. geniculata, E. marginata. Infection spreads through
airborne uredospores.
• Management: Spray Mancozeb (2kg/ha) or Propioconazole (1l/ha).
3. Leaf Blight
• Casual Organism: Alternaria ricini.
• Symptoms: All aerial parts (leaves, stem, in orescences, capsules) attacked. Irregular
brown spots with concentric rings on leaves, covered with fungal growth. Stems,
in orescences, capsules show dark brown lesions with concentric rings.
• Pathogen: conidiophores
• Favourable Conditions: High atmospheric humidity (85-90%). Low temp (16-20˚C).
• Disease Cycle: Survives on hosts (Jatropha pandurifolia, Bridelia hamiltoniana). Externally/
internally seed-borne (primary infection). Secondary infection: air-borne conidia.
• Management: Seed treatment: captan/thiram (2g/kg). Remove reservoir hosts
periodically. Spray mancozeb (2kg/ha).
4. Brown Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora ricinella.
• Symptoms: Minute brown specks with pale green halo. Spots enlarge to greyish-white
center with deep brown margin (2-4 mm). Coalescing spots form large brown patches
(vein-restricted).
• Pathogen: conidiophores -Conidia
fl
fi
fl
 • Disease Cycle: Remains as dormant mycelium in plant debris. Spreads mainly through
wind-borne conidia.
• Management: Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture or Copper oxy chloride (0.2%). Spray
Mancozeb (2g/lit) or Carbendazim (500g/ha) twice at 10-15 day interval. Seed
treatment: thiram/Captan (2gm/kg).
5. Powdery Mildew
• Casual Organism: Leveillula taurica.
• Symptoms: Typical mildew growth, generally on under leaf surface. Severe: upper
surface also covered with whitish growth. Light green patches (corresponding to
diseased areas) visible on upper side (against light).
• Management: Dry weather: spray Wettable Sulphur (2g/lit) twice at 15-day intervals
(from 3 months after sowing). Spray Hexaconazole (1ml) or Dinocap (2ml/litre) at
fortnight intervals. Variety Jwala is resistant.
6. Stem Rot
• Casual Organism: Macrophomina phaseolina.
• Management: Tolerant/resistant varieties (Jyothi, Jwala, GCH-4, DCH-30, SHB-145).
Avoid water logging. Seed treatment: thiram (2g/kg) or carbendazim (2g/kg). Seed
treatment: Trichoderma viride (4g/kg). Soil drenching: Carbendazim (1g/1 litre) 2-3 times
at 15-day intervals.
7. Bacterial Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Xanthomonas campestris pv. ricinicola.
• Symptoms: Cotyledons, leaves, veins attacked. Few to numerous small round, water-
soaked spots, later angular, dark brown to jet black. Bacterial ooze (small shining beads/
ne scales) on both leaf sides.
• Management: Field sanitation. Hot water seed treatment (58˚C-60˚C for 10 min).
Tolerant varieties. Spray Copper oxychloride (2kg/ha) or Streptocycline (100g/ha) or
Paushamycin (250g/ha).
8. Wilt
• Casual Organism: Fusarium oxysporum.
• Management: Disease-free seeds. Tolerant/resistant varieties (Jyothi, Jwala, GCH-4
DCH-30, SHB 145). Seed treatment: thiram (2g/kg) or carbendiazim (2g/kg). Seed
treatment: Trichoderma viride talc formulation (4g). Multiplication of T. viride (2kg) with
FYM (50kg), then applying between rows.

Diseases of Red Gram (Pigeonpea)

1. Wilt
• Casual Organism: Fusarium udum.
• Symptoms: Appears from early stages (4-6 weeks) up to owering/podding. Gradual
withering/drying of plants. Yellowing of leaves, blackening of stem (collar to branches),
leading to drooping/premature drying of leaves/stems/branches, plant death. Vascular
tissues show brown discoloration. Often partial wilting (one side of stem/root affected).
• Favourable Conditions: Soil temp 17-25˚C. Continuous cultivation of redgram.
fi
fl
• Disease Cycle: Survives in infected stubbles. Primary spread: soil-borne
chlamydospores (viable 8-20 years)/infected seed. Secondary spread: irrigation water/
implements.
• Management: Seed treatment: Trichoderma viride (4 g/kg). Crop rotation with tobacco.
Mixed cropping with sorghum. Resistant cultivars (Sharad, Jawahar, Maruthi, Malviya
Arhar-2, C-11, Pusa-9, Narendra Arhar-1, Birsa Arhar-1).
2. Dry Root Rot
• Casual Organism: Macrophomina phaseolina (Sclerotial stage: Rhizoctonia bataticola).
• Symptoms: Young seedlings/grown plants. Reddish-brown discoloration at collar
region. Lower leaves yellow, droop, prematurely defoliate. Discolored area turns black,
sudden plant death in patches.Plant easily pulled, leaving rotten root. Minute dark
sclerotia
• Pathogen: sclerotia, Dark brown, pycnidia. Conidiophores- Conidia (Pycnidiospores)
• Favourable Conditions: Prolonged drought followed by irrigation. High temp 28-35˚C.
• Disease Cycle: Primary spread: seed/soil. Secondary spread: air-borne conidia. Survives
as sclerotia in soil (facultative parasite)/dead host debris.
• Management: Seed treatment: carbendazim/thiram (2g/kg) or pellet with Trichoderma
viride (4 g/kg). Apply heavy doses of FYM/green leaf manure (Gliricidia maculata) (10 t/
ha) or Neemcake (150 kg/ha).
3. Powdery Mildew
• Casual Organism: Leveillula taurica.
• Symptoms: White powdery growth on lower leaf surface. Corresponding pale yellow
discoloration on upper surface. Severe: white growth on upper surface. Leads to
premature leaf shedding, barren plant.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores (from stomata)-conidium. Conidia cleistothecia contain 9-20
cylindrical asci, -ascospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Dry humid weather following rainfall.
• Disease Cycle: Survives in soil through cleistothecia. Ascospores from asci infect rst
lower leaves. Secondary spread: air-borne conidia.
• Management: Spray Carbendazim (500g/ha) or Wettable sulphur (2 kg/ha) at initiation,
repeat after 15 days.
4. Stem Blight
• Casual Organism: Phytophthora drechsleri fsp. cajani.
• Pathogen: Sporangiophores -sporangia (zoospores). Oospores
• Favourable Conditions: Poor drainage, low-lying areas, heavy rain (July-Sept), high
temp (28-30˚C).
• Disease Cycle: Survives in soil/plant debris as oospores. Primary infection: oospores.
Secondary spread: zoospores from sporangia. Rain splash/irrigation water aid
movement.
• Management: Seed treatment: Metalaxyl (6 g/kg). Spray Metalaxyl (500 g/ha). Adjust
sowing time to avoid heavy rainfall.
5. Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora indica.
• Spray Mancozeb (2 kg) or Carbendazim (500 g/ha) at symptom appearance, repeat after
fortnight.
fi
 6. Sterility Mosaic Disease (SMD)
• Casual Organism: Pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus (PPSMV).
• Symptoms: Bushy/pale green plants. Excessive vegetative growth, stunting, prominent
mosaic on leaves, reduced leaf size. Complete/partial cessation of owering (sterility).
Three symptom types: severe mosaic/sterility, mild mosaic/partial sterility, chlorotic
ringspot (no noticeable sterility).
• Pathogen: virus-like particles (VLPS) (3-10 nm), major virus speci c proteins (32kDa),
5-7 major RNA species (0.8-6.8kb).1
• Disease Cycle: Not sap transmitted. Transmitted by eriophyid mite, Aceria cajani Self-
grown redgram/perennial species are inoculum sources.
• Management: Spray Monocrotophos (500 ml/ha) at disease appearance, repeat after 15
days if needed. Resistant genotypes/cultivars (ICP 7035, VR3, Purple 1, DA11, DA32,
ICP 6997, Bahar, BSMR 235, ICP 7198, PR 5149, ICP 8861, Bhavanisagar 1).
7. Minor Diseases:
• Seedling blight: Sclerotium rolfsii.
• Brown blotch: Colletrtrichum capsici.
• Anthracnose: Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (Glomerella cingulata).
• Stem rot: Pythium aphanidermatum.
• Leaf spot: Alternaria alternata.
• Halo blight: Pseudomonas phaseolicola.
• Two other virus diseases (mosaic, yellow mosaic) transmitted by aphids/white ies,
sporadic occurrence.

Diseases of Green gram and Black gram

1. Powdery Mildew
• Casual Organism: Erysiphe polygoni.
• Symptoms: Small, irregular powdery spots on upper leaf surface (sometimes both).
Severe during owering/pod development. White powdery spots cover leaves, petioles,
stem, pods. Plant grayish-white. Leaves turn yellow, shed. Pods malformed, small, ill-
lled.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores bear conidia in short chains. cleistothecia with myceloid
appendages. Each cleistothecium contains -ascospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Warm humid weather. Severe late kharif/rabi seasons.
• Disease Cycle: Obligate parasite. Survives as cleistothecia in infected plant debris.
Primary infection: ascospores from perennating cleistothecia. Secondary spread: air-
borne conidia. Rain splash aids spread.
• Management: Spray Carbendazim (500g) or Wettable sulphur (2kg) or Tridemorph (500
ml/ha) at initiation, repeat 15 days later.
2. Anthracnose
• Casual Organism: Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (Sexual stage: Glomerella
lindemuthianum).
• Symptoms: All aerial parts, any crop stage. Dark brown to black sunken lesions on
hypocotyl, cause seedling death. Small angular brown lesions on leaves (mostly near
fi
fl
fi
fl
fl
 veins), Prominent on pods: minute water-soaked lesion, Spots join to cause necrotic areas
with acervuli.
• Pathogen: Conidia in acervuli (from stroma beneath epidermis, later erumpent).
Conidiophores - single-celled conidia Perfect stage produces perithecia with limited asci
(typically 8 ascospores, one/two-celled with central oil globule).
• Favourable Conditions: High RH (>90%), low temp (15-20˚C), cool rainy days.
• Disease Cycle: Seed-borne (primary infection). Lives in infected plant tissues in soil.
Secondary spread: air-borne conidia from infected parts. Rain splash aids dissemination.
• Management: Seed treatment: Carbendazim (2 g/kg). Spray Carbendazim (500g) or
Mancozeb (2kg/ha) at disease appearance, repeat after 15 days.
3. Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora canescens.
• Symptoms: Small, circular spots on leaves with grey center, brown margin.
• Pathogen: conidiophores. Conidia
• Favourable Conditions: Humid weather, dense plant population.
• Disease Cycle:. Secondary spread: air-borne conidia.
• Management: Spray Mancozeb (2 kg/ha) or Carbendazim (500 g/ha).
4. Rust
• Casual Organism: Uromyces phaseoli typica (Syn: U. appendiculatus).
• Pathogen: Autoecious, long cycle rust (all spore stages on same host).
• Favourable Conditions: Cloudy humid weather, temp 21-26˚C. Nights with heavy dews.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Survives in soil (teliospores) and crop debris
(uredospores). Primary infection: sporidia from teliospores. Secondary spread: wind-
borne uredospores. Survives on other legume hosts.
• Management: Remove/destroy infected plant debris. Spray Mancozeb (2 kg) or
Carbendazim (500 g) or Propiconazole (1L/ha) at disease onset, repeat after 15 days.
5. Web blight/Rhizoctonia blight/Dry root rot
• Casual Organism: Rhizoctonia bataticola (Pycnidial stage: Macrophomina phaseolina).1
• Pycnidiospores
• Favourable Conditions: Day temp 30˚C. Prolonged dry season followed by irrigation.
• Disease Cycle: Survives in infected debris/as facultative parasite in soil. Primary
spread: seed-borne/soil-borne sclerotia. Secondary spread: pycnidiospores (air-borne).
• Management: Seed treatment: carbendazim + thiram (2 g/kg, 1:1) or pellet with
Trichoderma viride (4 g/kg) or Pseudonomas uorescens (106cfu/g). Apply FYM/green leaf
manure (Gliricidia maculata) (10 t/ha) or neemcake (150 kg/ha).
6. Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Disease
• Casual Organism: Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus (MYMIV) (Northern/Central)
and Mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) (Western/Southern). Begomovirus
(Geminiviridae), ssDNA, bipartite genome (DNA-A, DNA-B).
• Symptoms: Small yellow patches/spots on green lamina of young leaves. Develops into
bright yellow mosaic/golden yellow mosaic. Yellow discoloration increases, leaves turn
completely yellow.
• Disease Cycle: Transmitted by white y (Bemisia tabaci) (viruliferous white ies). Summer
sown crops highly susceptible. Weed hosts (Croton sparsi orus, Acalypha indica, Eclipta
alba) and other legumes are reservoirs.
fl
fl
fl
fl
• Management: Resistant black gram varieties (VBN-1, PDU 10, IC12/2, PLU 322).
Cultivate rabi season. Mixed cropping (2 rows maize/sorghum/cumbu for every 15
rows black gram/green gram). Seed treatment: Thiomethoxam-70WS/
Imidacloprid-70WS (4g/kg). Spray Thiamethoxam-25WG (100g) or Imidacloprid 17.8%
SL (100 ml in 500 lit water).
7. Leaf Crinkle Disease
• Casual Organism: Urdbean leaf crinkle virus (ULCV) (causal organism not ascertained).
• Symptoms: Crinkling/curling of lea et tips, increased leaf area. Severe crinkling/
rugosity in older leaves, thickened leaves. Shortened petioles/internodes. Stunted/
bushy appearance. Delayed owering, malformed in orescence (small ower buds, fail
to open).
• Disease Cycle: Weed hosts (Aristolochia bracteata, Digera arvensis). Kharif season crop/
continuous cropping of other legumes are inoculum sources. Seed-borne (primary
infection). White y (Bemisia tabaci) helps secondary spread. Sap transmissible.
• Management: Cultivate seed crop rabi season. Spray methyl demeton (500 ml/ha) at 30
and 40 days after sowing.
8. Minor Diseases:
• Ascochyta leaf spot: Ascochyta phaseolorum.
• Bacterial blight: Xanthomonas phaseoli.

Diseases of Tobacco
1. Damping-off
• Symptoms: Attacks seedlings at any stage in nursery. Pre-emergence: wither before
emergence. Post-emergence: water-soaked minute lesions on stems near soil, girdling
stem, spreading, leading to toppling. Young seedlings killed in patches, infection spreads
quickly. Thick mycelial weft on soil surface.
• Pathogen: Pythium aphanidermatum. sporangia germinate - zoospores. Oospores
• Favourable Conditions: Overcrowding, ill-drained nursery beds, heavy shade, high RH
(90-100%), high soil moisture, low temp (<24˚C, ~20˚C soil temp).1
• Disease Cycle: Survives in soil as oospores/chlamydospores (primary infection).
Secondary spread: sporangia/zoospores by wind/irrigation water.
• Management: Raised seed beds with drainage. Burn seed beds with paddy husk. Drench
seed bed with 1% Bordeaux mixture or 0.2% Copper oxychloride, 0.2% Metalaxyl
2. Black Shank
• Casual Organism: Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae.
• Symptoms: Affects crop at any stage, chie y roots/stem base. Nursery seedlings: black
discoloration of stem near soil, blackening of roots, wet rot (humid) or seedling blight
(dry) with wilting/tip drying. Spreads to leaves, blighting/drying bottom leaves. Split
stem: pith dried in disc-like plates, black discoloration. Leaves: large brown
concentrically zonate patches (humid), blackening/rotting.
• Pathogen: sporangiophores. Sporangia germinate to release kidney-shaped, biciliate
zoospores,chlamydospores, Oospores
• Favourable Conditions: Frequent rainfall, high soil moisture. High population of
rootknot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita var. acrita).
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
 • Disease Cycle: Lives as saprophyte on organic wastes/infected crop residues in soil.
Survives as dormant mycelium, oospores, chlamydospores (>2 years). Primary infection:
soil-borne oospores/chlamydospores. Secondary spread: wind-borne sporangia. Spreads
via irrigation water, soil transport, farm implements, animals.
• Management: Drench nursery beds with 1% Bordeaux mixture or 0.2% Copper
oxychloride 2 days before sowing. Spray beds 2 weeks after sowing with 0.2% Metalaxyl
or 0.2% Captafol or 0.2% Copper oxychloride or 1% Bordeaux mixture, repeat after 10
days. Spray Mancozeb (2 kg) or Copper oxychloride (1 kg) or Ziram (1 lit/ha). Spot
drench with 0.4% Bordeaux mixture or 0.2% Copper oxychloride.
3. Frog Eye Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora nicotianae.
• Favourable Conditions: Temp 20-30˚C. High RH (80-90%). Close spacing, frequent
irrigation, excess nitrogenous fertilizers.
• Disease Cycle: Seed-borne, persists on crop residues in soil. Primary infection: seed/
soil-borne inoculum. Secondary spread: wind-borne conidia.
• Management: Spray 0.4% Bordeaux mixture or Thiophanate Methyl (750g/ha) or
Carbendazim (750 g/ha), repeat after 15 days.
4. Powdery Mildew
• Casual Organism: Erysiphe cichoracearum var. nicotianae.
• Conidia , Cleistothecia. Contain 10-15 ovate asci-ascospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Humid cloudy weather. Low temp (16-23˚C). Close planting,
excess nitrogenous fertilizers.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection: soil-borne inoculum. Secondary spread: wind blown
conidia.
• Management: Plant early to escape cool temp at maturity. Spray dinocap (375 ml) or
Carbendazim (500g/ha).
5. Brown Spot
• Casual Organism: Alternaria longipes.
• Weekly spraying: Maneb/Zineb (2g/ha) or Benomyl/Thiophanate methyl (1kg/ha).
6. Anthracnose
• Casual Organism: Colletotrichum tabacum.
• Symptoms: Starts on lower leaves as pale-brown circular spots (0.5 mm) with papery
depressed centers, raised brown margin. Leaf-spots small with white areas or coalesce to
large necrotic lesions.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection from affected aerial parts left in soil from previous
season. Not seed-borne, persists in soil on dried plant debris.
• Management: Protective spraying: Bordeaux mixture (1.0%) or Zineb (2 kg/ha).
7. Wild re
• Casual Organism: Pseudomonas tabaci.
• Symptoms: Leaf spots at any stage (nursery seedlings). Dark brown to black spots with
yellow halo spread quickly, causing wilting/drying of leaves. Entire leaf covered with
enlarged spots/yellow haloes. Leaves wither/dry. Humid weather: spreads very fast,
covers all leaves, blighted appearance.
• Pathogen: Gram negative bacterium.
8. Tobacco Mosaic (TMV)
fi
 • Casual Organism: Tobacco mosaic tobamovirus.
• Symptoms: Light discoloration along veins of youngest leaves. Characteristic light/dark
green pattern, dark green areas with veins, turning into irregular blisters. Early infected
plants stunted, small, chlorotic, mottled, curled leaves. Severe: leaves narrowed,
puckered, thin, malformed. Later: dark brown necrotic spots (hot weather) called
“Mosaic burn” or “Mosaic scorching”.
• Pathogen: ssRNA genome. Thermal inactivation point 85-90˚C.
• Disease Cycle: Spreads rapidly by contact wounds, sap, farm implements/operators.
Viable in plant debris in soil (high longevity, infective dry >50 years). Wide host range
(~50 plant species in 9 families). Not seed-transmitted in tobacco (but tomato seeds
transmit). No insect vector.
• Management: Remove/destroy infected plants. Keep eld weed-free. Wash hands with
soap/water before/after handling plants/weeding. Prohibit smoking/chewing/
snuf ng during eld operations. Spray nursery/main eld with botanical leaf extracts
(Bougainvillea, Basella alba) (1 litre extract in 150 litres water) 2-3 times weekly. Crop
rotation with non-host plants (2 seasons). Resistant varieties (TMV RR2, TMV RR 2a,
TMV RR3).
9. Leaf Curl (TLCV)
• Casual Organism: Tobacco leaf curl geminivirus.
• Symptoms:
◦
Leaf margins curl downward (dorsal side), show vein thickening with enation on
lower surface.
◦
Crinkle form: whole leaf edge curls dorsal side, enation on veins, lamina arching
ventral side between veinlets.1
◦
Transparent symptom: leaves curl ventral side, vein clearing, no enations.
• Pathogen: circular ssDNA genome. White y transmitted Geminivirus.
• Disease Cycle: Narrow host range (8 plant families). Not sap/seed transmissible.
White y (Bemisia tabaci) is vector. Wide host range means many other plants are
inoculum sources.
• Management: Remove/destroy infected plants. Rogue reservoir weed hosts. Plant
tobacco when vector population low. Spray Methyldemeton (0.1-0.2%) to control vectors.
10. Phanerogamic Parasite (Broom rape)
• Casual Organism: Orobanche cernua var. desertorum.
• Symptoms: Stunted tobacco plants, wilting/drooping of leaves (underground
parasitism). Young shoot emerges from soil at plant base 5-6 weeks post-transplanting,
in clusters (50-100 shoots/plant). Late attack: no external symptoms, but reduced leaf
quality/yield.
• Parasite: Total root parasite. Annual, eshy owering plant, short stout stem, pale
yellow/brownish red, covered by small, thin, brown scaly leaves, thickened base. White
owers in leaf axils.
• Disease Cycle: Seeds dormant in soil for years. Primary infection from soil seeds. Seeds
spread by irrigation water, animals, humans, implements. Root exudates of tobacco
stimulate germination, parasite attaches to roots (haustoria). Grows rapidly to produce
shoot/ owers. Also attacks brinjal, tomato, cauli ower, turnip, other cruciferous crops.
fl
fi
fl
fl
fi
fl
fl
fl
fl
fi
fi
 ◦
Management: Rogue tender shoots before owering/seed set. Spray soil with 25%
copper sulphate. Spray 0.1% Allyl alcohol. Apply kerosene drops directly on shoot.
Grow decoy/trap crops (chilli, moth bean, sorghum, cowpea) to stimulate seed
germination and kill parasite.

Diseases of Ginger
1. Rhizome Rot/Soft Rot
• Casual Organism: Pythium sp..
◦
Symptoms: Infection through contaminated seed: sprouts fail to grow (pre-emergence
damping off). Post-sprouting: leaves pale green, yellowing from top leaves downwards
along leaf blade/sheath margin. Yellowing followed by wilting/drying,On stem:
translucent brown lesion at collar, becomes water-soaked/soft, extends to whole shoot,
easily pulled out.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection: survives in soil/infected rhizomes as oospores.
Secondary infection: spreads through irrigation water as zoospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Mimegralla ies play role in spread
• Management:. Avoid water stagnation. Rhizome treatment: Metalaxyl (0.2%). Drench
eld: COC (0.3%) or Metalaxyl (0.2%). Control Mimegralla insects: 0.05% methyl
parathion.
2. Phyllosticta Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Phyllosticta zingiberi T.S. Ramakr.
• Symptoms: Small oval to elongated spots on leaves, later white papery center, dark
brown margins, yellow halo. Affected leaves suffer extensive desiccation, shredded,
dis gured.
• Pathogen: pycnidia- Pycnidiospores
• Disease Cycle and Epidemiology: Overwinters in infected plant debris/seed rhizomes.
Appears late June (temp 23.4-29.6˚C, RH 83.3-90.2%). Aggravates/spreads fast in July
(increased rain).
• Management: steep in Mancozeb (0.25%) + Carbendazim (0.1%) for 60 min before
sowing, dry 48h. Spray crop: Mancozeb (0.25%) or Carbendazim (0.1%) or combination
Cultivars like Narasapatom, Tura, Nadia, Tetraploid, Thingpani are moderately resistant.
3. Bacterial Wilt
• Casual Organism: Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al.
4. Root-knot Nematodes
• Casual Organism: Meloidogyne incognita.
• Symptoms: Similar to root gall on tomato, cucurbits, lettuce. Stunted growth, partial
yellowing. On roots: irregular round galls, spindle-shaped enlargements on tap/side
roots. Nematode larvae feed on roots, causing swellings/knots. Roots often stunted/
deformed.
• Pathogen: Plant parasitic nematode. Sedentary, endoparasitic, gall-producing. Infective
stage: second stage juveniles (lightly sclerotized cephalic framework). Stylet weak in
juveniles/adult female. Third/fourth stage juveniles lack stylet, body saccate.
• Disease Cycle and Epidemiology: Second stage juveniles in soil search for site (behind
root cap), feed on epidermal cells, penetrate cortical layers. Reach stellar region, form
fi
fi
fl
fl
 giant cells for feeding. Moderate temp (29-30˚C), higher RH (79-80%) favor
reproduction/spread.
• Management: Crop rotation with non-hosts, graminaceous poor hosts, antagonistic
crops (1-2 years). Groundnut-mustard rotation most effective. Soil amendments (dry/
green crop residues, oil cakes, meals, sawdust, FYM) decompose, alter soil conditions.
Field prep: apply nematicides (Thimet/Phorate 12-15 kg/ha), light irrigation. Cultivate
after 15-20 days. Biocontrol agents (Paecilomyces lilacinus, Pasteuria penetrans, Pseudomonas
uorescens) effective.

Diseases of Crucifers (Cabbage and Cauli ower)

1. Alternaria Blight
• Casual Organism: Alternaria raphani.
• Symptoms: Affects leaves, stem, pods, seeds. Small, yellowish, slightly raised lesions on
leaves of seed stem. Later on stems/seed pods.
• Pathogen: Conidia
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Seed-borne. Survive in susceptible weeds/perennial
crops. Conidia abundant in moist atmosphere, disseminated by air currents.
• Management: Spray Mancozeb 0.25%.
2. White Rust
• Casual Organism: Albugo candida.
• Symptoms: Attacks leaves/ owering shoots. Affected owering shoots deformed, bear
malformed owers. White powdery patches on under surface of leaves.
• Pathogen: Obligate parasite. - sporangium -zoospores.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Overwintering: oospores in plant debris in soil, mixed
with seeds, perennial mycelium in weed hosts (primary inoculum).
• Management: Regular spraying with Mancozeb 0.25%.
3. Wire Stem
• Casual Organism: Rhizoctonia solani.
• chlamydospores. Perfect stage: basidia on host Basidiophores
• Management: Sterilized soil. Seedbed drenches with Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
4. Downy Mildew
• Casual Organism: Peronospora parasitica.
• Symptoms: Attacks young plants/seed production stage (northern India, high
humidity). Young seedlings: discoloration, severe cases whole plant perishes. Purplish
leaf spots/yellow brown spots on upper leaf surface. Fluffy downy fungus growth on
lower surface.
• Pathogen: Obligate parasite. - Conidiophores. Oogonium - Oospores
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Attacks broccoli, cabbage, cauli ower, radish, turnip.
Perennates in soil (oospores in roots/old diseased plant parts), contaminant with seeds.
Persists in perennial hosts. Secondary spread: water/wind-borne conidia.
• Management: Seed treatment: Metalaxyl (Apron 6g/kg). Foliar spraying: Metalaxyl
(Ridomil) 0.4%.
5. Club Root
• Casual Organism: Plasmodiophora brassicae.
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
fl
• Symptoms: Stunting/yellowing of plants. Leaves yellowish, wilt on hot days. Club-like
swelling of root/rootlets. Prevalent on soils with pH <7. Less serious on heavy soils/
low organic matter.
• Pathogen: Primary zoospores(whiplash). Secondary zoospores
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Soil-borne, survives in crop refuse as minute resting
spores (>10 years). Germination requires moist, acid soil (pH <7), temp 12-27˚C. Disease
favored by high soil moisture, temp 18-25˚C. New zoospores produced, infect same/
adjacent plants. Resting spores form in diseased tissue
• Management: Soil fumigation: Methyl bromide (1kg/10m²) + plastic lm. Seed
treatment: Captan/Thiram (4g/kg) followed by T.viride (4g/kg). Apply lime (2.5 t/ha).
Soil drenching: Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
6. Black Rot
• Casual Organism: Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris.
• Symptoms: Foliage infection: yellow ‘V’ shaped spots along margin, extend to midrib.
Associated with black discoloration of veins. Infection extends through xylem to stalk,
vascular bundles turn black.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Spreads rapidly in warm, humid weather (optimum
27-30˚C, 80-100% RH). In soil, spread by splashing rain/wind. Enters plants through
wounds/natural openings (hydathodes) at leaf margins.
• Management: Seed treatment: Aureomycin (1000ppm for 30 min) (kills internal/external
seed-borne). Drench nursery soil with formaldehyde 0.5%. Apply bleaching powder
(10.0-12.5 kg/ha).

Diseases of Tomato
1. Damping off
• Symptoms: Two stages:
◦
Pre-emergence: seedlings killed before reaching soil surface. Radical/plumule killed,
complete rotting.
◦
Post-emergence: infection of young, juvenile tissues of collar at ground level. Infected
tissues soft/water soaked. Seedlings topple/collapse.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Causal organisms are soil inhabitants, build up in soil
with available hosts. Wide host range.
• Management: Raised seed bed. Light, frequent irrigation for drainage. Drench with
Copper oxychloride (0.2%) or Bordeaux mixture (1%). Seed treatment: Trichoderma viride
(4 g/kg) or Thiram (3 g/kg) (preventive for pre-emergence). Spray 0.2% Metalaxyl
during cloudy weather.
2. Fusarium Wilt
• Casual Organism: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Seed-borne, soil-borne. Survives in soil as
chlamydospores or saprophytically growing mycelium in infected crop debris (>10
years).
• Management: Remove/destroy affected plants. Spot drench: Carbendazim (0.1%). Crop
rotation with non-host crops (cereals).
3. Early Blight
• Casual Organism: Alternaria solani.
fi
 • Symptoms: Common disease on foliage at any stage. Characteristic leaf spots/blight.
Small, black lesions mostly on older foliage. Spots enlarge, concentric rings (bull's eye)
visible. Surrounding tissue may turn yellow.
• Pathogen: Dark colored conidiophores. Conidia
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Spread by wind/rain splashes. Dry conditions: survives
in infected plant debris in soil (>3 years), also seed-borne.
• Management: Spray Mancozeb 0.2%.
4. Late Blight
• Casual Organism: Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary.
• Symptoms: On leaves, stem, fruits. Small water-soaked lesions near tips/margins of
leaves, rapidly grow to large, brown/purplish black, necrotic lesions (favorable
weather). Morning: whitish downy growth (sporangiophores/sporangia) on lesion
edges (underside of leaves).
• Pathogen: Sporangiophores-Sporangia , Antheridia/oogonia produced after A1/A2
mating types contact. Oospores develop after fertilization.
• Disease Cycle and Epidemiology: Perpetuates as dormant mycelium in infected debris
(<30˚C). Oospores (rarely formed) also primary inoculum. RH >90% + temp (12-24˚C)
crucial. sporangia produce zoospores.
• Management: High ridges/earthing up. Restrict irrigation during cloudy days. Timely
prophylactic sprays: Mancozeb/Chlorothalonil/Propineb (0.25%), repeat weekly. Repeat
promptly after rain. Metalaxyl + Mancozeb or Cymoxanil + Mancozeb (0.25%) only
when severe risk/favorable weather. Avoid Metalaxyl alone.
5. Septoria Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Septoria lycopersici.
6. Buckeye Rot
• Casual Organism: Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Hann. var. parasitica (Dastur)
• Sporangiophores produce sporangia. Chlamydospores produce zoospores/germ tubes.
Oospores aplerotic.
• Disease Cycle and Epidemiology: Overwinters in soil as oospores/chlamydospores
(active >1 year). Monsoon rains, high soil moisture, moderate temp (20-25˚C):
chlamydospores/oospores germinate, produce mycelium/sporangia. Sporangia produce
bi agellate zoospores, splashed by rain to fruits.
• Management: Apply pine needle/grass mulch (barrier). Monsoon onset: spray
metalaxyl + mancozeb (0.25%), followed by mancozeb (0.25%) or copper oxychloride
(0.3%) or Bordeaux mixture (4:4:50)
7. Bacterial Wilt
• Casual Organism: Ralstonia solanacearum.
• Alternate hosts: chilli, eggplant, groundnut, potato, tobacco.
• Management: Avoid seedling damage during transplanting. Apply bleaching powder
(10kg/ha). Crop rotations (cowpea-maize-cabbage, okra-cowpea-maize, maize-cowpea-
maize, nger millet-egg plant) effective.
8. Bacterial Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria.
fl
fi
 • Symptoms: Infected leaves: small, brown, water soaked, circular spots with yellowish
halo. rough/scabby surface. Ripe fruits not susceptible. Seed surface contaminated,
bacteria remain.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Survives in diseased plant debris, volunteer plants. Seed-
borne. Enters through stomata/injuries/lenticels. Secondary spread: rain splashes.
Infected seeds/transplants spread to new areas.
• Management: Disease-free seed/seedlings. Crop rotation with non-host crops. Seed
treatment: mercuric chloride (1:1000). Spray combination of copper/organic fungicides
(5-10 day intervals) or Agrimycin-100 (100 ppm) thrice at 10-day intervals.
9. Mosaic
• Casual Organism: Tomato mosaic virus (TMV).
• Symptoms: Light/dark green mottling on leaves, often wilting of young leaves in sunny
days. Lea ets distorted, puckered, smaller. Sometimes indented ("fern leaf"). Stunted,
pale green, spindly plant.
• Pathogen: Rod shaped particles, not enveloped, straight. Thermal inactivation point
85-90˚C.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Seed-borne (up to 94% seeds). Infection during
transplanting. Readily transmissible by contact
• Management: Soak seeds in Trisodium Phosphate (90 g/litre) a day before sowing
(rinse/dry). Crop rotation with non-host crops (avoid tobacco, potato, chilli, capsicum,
brinjal).
10. Leaf Curl
• Casual Organism: Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV).
• Symptoms: Severe stunting, downward rolling/crinkling of leaves. Newly emerging
leaves slight yellowing, later curl. Older leaves leathery/brittle. Nodes/internodes
signi cantly reduced. Pale, bushy appearance with more lateral branches. Stunted.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Neither seed nor sap transmissible. Transmitted by white
y (Bemisia tabaci) and grafting.
• Management: Yellow sticky traps (12/ha). Barrier crops (cereals). Spray Imidachloprid
(0.05%) or Dimethoate (0.05%) at 15, 25, 45 days post-transplanting to control vector.
11. Spotted Wilt
• Casual Organism: Tomato spotted wilt disease (TSWV), Groundnut bud necrosis virus.
• Symptoms: Streaking of leaves, stems, fruits. Numerous small, dark, circular spots on
younger leaves. Leaves bronzed, later dark brown/wither. Fruits: numerous spots (~1/2
inch dia) with concentric, circular markings (alternate red/yellow on ripe fruit).
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Transmitted through thrips (Thrips tabaci, Frankliniella
schultzi, F. occidentalis).
• Management: Raise barrier crops (Sorghum, Maize, Bajra - 5-6 rows) around eld. Spray
Imidachloprid (0.05%) or any systemic insecticide to control vector.
12. Gray Mould
• Casual Organism: Botrytis cinerea.
13. Bacterial Soft Rot and Hollow Stem
• Casual Organism: Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora.
14. Phoma Rot
• Casual Organism: Phoma destructive.
fl
fi
fl
fi
 • Symptoms: Distinguished by black color of spot. Small, black, pimple-like eruptions
(pycnidia/fruiting bodies).
• Pathogen: Ascospores irregularly arranged, ellipsoid, obtuse ends, hyaline, guttulate.
Pycnidia solitary to gregarious, dark brown. Conidia typically biguttulate, straight,
irregular.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Seed-borne.
• Management: Seed treatment with organomercurial. Spray Zineb 0.2%.

Diseases of Brinjal
1. Bacterial Wilt
• Casual Organism: Ralstonia solanacearum.
• Symptoms: Wilting, stunting, yellowing of foliage, collapse of entire plant. Lower leaves
may droop rst. Vascular system turns brown. Bacterial ooze from affected parts. Plants
wilt at noon, recover at night, but die soon.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Infects banana, chillies, fennel, ginger, potato, radish,
tomato. Root knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) increases incidence.
• Management: Resistant variety. Crop rotation with cruciferous vegetables (cauli ower).
Keep elds clean, collect/burn affected parts. Spray Copper fungicides (2% Bordeaux
mixture). Control root-knot nematodes.
2. Cercospora Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora solani -melongenae, C. solani.
• Symptoms: Chlorotic lesions, angular to irregular, later grayish-brown with profuse
sporulation at center.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores - Conidia
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Air-borne conidia.
• Management: Resistant variety (Pant Samrat). Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture or 2g Copper
oxychloride or 2.5g Zineb per litre.
3. Alternaria Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Alternaria melongenae, A. solani.
• Symptoms: Cracks in leaf spot. Characteristic leaf spots with concentric rings. A.
melongenae also infects fruits, large deep-seated spots, turn yellow, drop prematurely.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores - Conidia
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Wind-borne conidia.
• Management: Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture or 2g Copper oxychloride or 2.5g Zineb per
litre.
4. Little Leaf of Brinjal
• Economic Importance: Reported India 1938. Serious problem in India/Sri Lanka. 100%
yield loss.
• Symptoms: Smallness of leaves. Petioles short, leaves sticking to stem. Narrow, soft,
smooth, yellow leaves. Newly formed leaves shorter. Internodes shortened. Bushy
appearance (axillary buds enlarged, petioles/leaves shortened). Mostly no owering, if
formed, remain green. Fruiting rare.
• Pathogen: Mycoplasma-like organism (MLO), related to aster-yellows/curly top. Sap
transmissible. Transmitted to Datura, tomato, tobacco. Natural transmission by Cestius
phycytis (Eutettix phycytis)
fi
fi
fl
fl
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Transmitted by leaf hoppers (Hishimonas phycitis,
Empoasca devastans) and grafting. E. devastans less effective. Perennation through weed
host. Wide host range.
• Management: Methyldemeton 25 EC (2 ml/litre), Dimethoate 30 EC (2 ml/litre),
Malathion 50 EC (2 ml/litre) for vector control. Cultivars Pusa Purple Cluster, Arka
Sheel, Aushy, Manjari Gota, Banaras Giant (moderate to high resistance). Black Beauty,
Brinjal Round, Surati (tolerant).
5. Damping off
• Symptoms: Sudden collapsing of seedlings in seed bed. Attacked at collar region,
toppled down. Spreads through fungi in soil.
• Pathogen: Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium indicum, Phytophthora parasitica, Rhizoctonia
solani, Sclerotium rolfsii.
• Management: Seed treatment with agrosan or ceresin (2gm/kg).
6. Collar Rot : Sclerotium rolfsii.
• Management: Seed treatment with Trichoderma viride (4 g/kg). Spray Mancozeb (2g/
Litre). Collect/destroy diseased parts.
7. Fruit Rot
• Casual Organism: Phomopsis vexans.
• Pathogen: Pycnidia (with/without beak) in affected tissue, globose/irregular.
Conidiophores in pycnidium - Conidia. Ascospores
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Survives in infected plant debris in soil. Seed-borne.
Spores spread by rain splashes, implements, insects.
• Management: Seeds dipped in hot water (50˚C for 30 min). Spray difolation (0.2%) or
captan (0.2%) in nursery/ eld (7-10 day intervals). Deep summer ploughing, 3-year crop
rotation, collect/destroy diseased debris. Spray Zineb (0.2%) or Bordeaux mixture
(0.8%).

Diseases of Bhendi (Okra)

1. Cercospora Leaf Spots
• Casual Organisms: Cercospora malayensis, C. abelmoschi.
• Symptoms: C. malayensis causes brown, irregular spots. C. abelmoschi causes sooty black,
angular spots. Both cause severe defoliation, common during humid seasons.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores - Conidia
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Survives in diseased crop material.
• Management: Spray Mancozeb 0.25%.
2. Fusarium Wilt
• Casual Organism: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Soil-borne.
• Management: Seed treatment: Mancozeb (3g/kg). Drench eld: Copper oxy chloride
(0.25%).
3. Powdery Mildew
• Casual Organism: Erysiphe cichoracearum.
• Symptoms: Very severe. Greyish powdery growth on under/upper leaf surface. Severe
reduction in fruit yield.
• Pathogen: Conidia- Cleistothecia.
fi
fi
 • Management: Spray inorganic sulphur (0.25%) or Dinocap (0.1%) 3-4 times at 15-day
intervals.
4. Vein-Clearing/Yellow Vein Mosaic
• Symptoms: Yellowing of entire network of veins in leaf blade. Severe: younger leaves
turn yellow, reduced size, plant highly stunted. Veins cleared, interveinal area
completely yellow/white. Most plants diseased. Infection at any stage. Restricts
owering/fruits. Fruits smaller/harder, yellow/white, un t for marketing.
• Pathogen: Virus particles
• Mode of Spread: White y (Bemisia tabaci).
• Management: Resistant varieties (Parbhani Kranti, Arka Abhay, Arka Anamika, Varsha
Uphar). Avoid susceptible varieties in summer (high white y). Spray monocrotophos
(1.5 ml/litre). Avoid synthetic pyrethroids. Control by Chlorpyriphos (2.5 ml) + neem oil
(2 ml/lit).

Diseases of Beans
1. Anthracnose
• Casual Organism: Colletotrichum lindemuthianum.
• Pathogen: Acervuli beneath cuticle. Conidia on short conidiophores.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Seed-borne. Survives in debris from infected plants/
diseased seed. Viable in seeds even after seeds dead. Moisture essential for development,
spread, germination, infection.
• Management: Fungicide sprays of xed copper (for lima beans).
2. Bean Root Rots
• Casual Organisms: Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium species, Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli.
• Symptoms: Seedlings fail to emerge or stunted (seeds rot). Young seedlings: watery soft
rot slightly above/below soil line. Roots die, leaves turn yellow.
• Management: Avoid low, poorly drained areas. Plant on raised beds. Plant after soil
warmed to 69°F (4 inch depth). Reduce disease buildup by rotating bean/pea with other
vegetables. Avoid root injury (planting, cultivation, nematodes). Remove crop debris.
Plant seeds treated with captan.
3. Rust
• Casual Organism: Uromyces appendiculatus.
• Pathogen: Autoecious
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Not seed-borne. Disseminated locally by farm tools,
insects, animals.
• Management: Crop rotation. Sulfur or chlorothalonil
4. Bacterial Blight
• Casual Organisms: Common blight (Xanthomonas campestris pv phaseoli), halo blight
(Pseudomonas syringae pathovar phaseolicola).

Diseases of Banana
1. Panama Disease (Fusarium wilt)
• Casual Organism: Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense
fl
fl
fi
fi
fl
• Symptoms: Yellowing of lowermost leaves (margin to midrib, extending upwards),
leaves break near base and hang, longitudinal pseudostem splitting, vascular
discoloration (red/brown streaks).
• Pathogen: Produces microconidia, macroconidia and chlamydospores (thick-walled,
spherical/oval, hyaline/yellowish).
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Soil-borne, survives as chlamydospores. Primary spread:
infected rhizomes. Secondary spread: irrigation water. Continuous cultivation builds
inoculum.
• Management: Avoid susceptible cultivars (Rasthali, Monthan, Red banana, Virupakshi);
grow resistant (Poovan). Nematode control (Carbofuran granules). Corm injection of 2%
Carbendazim (3 ml) on 5th and 7th month.
2. Moko Disease
• Casual Organism: Ralstonia solanacearum / Pseudomonas solanacearum / Burkholderia
solanacearum
• Symptoms: Leaves yellow and progress upwards, petiole breaks. Vascular discoloration
(pale yellow to dark brown) in central corm. Internal fruit rot (dark brown). Bacterial
ooze when pseudostem cut.
• Pathogen: gram-negative bacterium
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Soil-borne, survives in susceptible hosts (banana,
Heliconia spp.).
3. Tip Over or Heart Rot
• Casual Organism: Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora
4. Sigatoka Disease
• Casual Organism: Mycosphaerella musicola (Cercospora musae)
• Symptoms: Small, light yellow/brownish-green narrow streaks on leaves. Enlarge to
linear, oblong, brown/black spots with dark brown band and yellow halo. Black fungal
specks appear. Rapid drying and defoliation.
• Pathogen: Conidia .Perithecia, Asci -Ascospores
• Management: Remove and destroy affected leaves. Spray Propiconazole + Carbendazim
0.1% or Chlorothalonil 0.25%. Add wetting agent (teepol/sandovit 1ml/lit).
5. Cigar End Rot
• Casual Organism: Verticillium theobromae, Trachsphaera fructigena, and Gloeosporium
musarum
• Symptoms: Black necrosis spreads from perianth into tip of immature ngers. Rotted
portion is dry, adheres to fruits, resembles cigar ash.
• Management: Remove pistil and perianth by hand (8-10 days after bunch formation).
Spray bunch with Dithane M-45 (0.1%) or Topsin M (0.1%). Minimize bruising, prompt
cooling to 14°C, proper sanitation of handling facilities.
6. Anthracnose
• Casual Organism: Gloeosporium gloeosporioides
• Pathogen: Acervuli. Conidiophores -Conidia.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Air-borne conidia.
• Management: Post-harvest dipping of fruits in Carbendazim 400 ppm, Benomyl 1000
ppm, or Aureofunginsol 100 ppm.
7. Freckle or Black Spot
fi
• Casual Organism: Phyllostictina musarum
• Symptoms: Minute raised dark brown spots with black dots in center on leaves and
fruits. On fruits, con ned to skin.
• Pathogen: Fungus produces dark pycnidium. Conidiophores -Conidia. Pycnidiospores
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Fungus survives in infected plant debris. Conidia spread
by rain water and wind.
• Management: Spray Copper oxychloride 0.25%. Add wetting agent (teepol/sandovit
1ml/lit).
8. Banana Bunchy Top
1940 : introduced from srilanka, 1st in Fiji island
• Casual Organism: Banana bunchy top virus
• Economic Importance: Domestic quarantine regulations.
• Symptoms: Morse code symptom and J hook shape symptom.
• Subsequent leaves dwarfed. Dark broken bands of green tissues on veins, leaves,
petioles. Extremely stunted plants. Reduced leaf size, marginal chlorosis, curling. Leaves
upright, brittle. Many leaves crowded at top. Small branches. No bunch if infected early.
• Mode of Spread: Primarily by infected suckers. Secondary spread by aphid vector
Pentalonia nigronervosa.
• Management: Select suckers from disease-free areas. Control vector by spraying methyl
demeton (1 ml/l), Monocrotophos (2 ml/l), or Phosphomidon (1 ml/l). Injection of
Monocrotophos (1 ml/plant diluted in 4 ml). Destroy infected plants using 4ml of 2,4,D
(50g in 400 ml water).
9. Infectious Chlorosis: Banana mosaic disease
• Casual Organism: Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)
• Economic Importance: Also known as heart rot. Recently serious, 20-80% incidence in
Poovan cultivar.
• Symptoms: Chlorotic/yellow linear discontinuous streaks on leaves, upward curling,
twisting/bunching at crown, erectness of newly emerged leaves. Sometimes heart rot.
Dwarf plants, no bunches.
• Mode of Spread: Infected suckers and aphid vectors (Aphis gossypii).
• Management: Destroy infected plants. Use disease-free suckers. Control vector by
spraying systemic insecticide 0.1%.
10. Toppling Over/Banana Burrowing Nematode
• Casual Organism: Radopholus similis
• Symptoms: Yellowing of leaves, root discoloration, tunnels on suckers, root decay,
complete plant collapse.
• Etiology: Migratory endoparasite, obligate.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Primary inoculum: infected soil/suckers. Secondary
inoculum: soil-borne, water-borne nematodes (2 stages).
• Favourable Conditions: High soil moisture, neutral pH, sandy loam soils, susceptible
host presence.
• Disease Cycle: Migratory endoparasitic.
• Management: Avoid excess nitrogen. Proper potassium dose. Apply 5-10 kg FYM/plant.
Carbofuran (10-15 gm/plant) with FYM. Neem cake (5kg/plant). Paring pralinage
treatment (shaving discolored rhizome parts, treating with mud+Carbofuran granules).
fi
Diseases of Papaya
1. Stem rot / Foot rot
• Casual Organism: Pythium aphanidermatum
• Symptoms: Honey comb appearance, Water-soaked spot on stem at ground level,
enlarging to girdle stem. Diseased area turns brown/black, rots. Terminal leaves yellow,
droop.
• Pathogen: Produces sclerotia.
• Management: Seed treatment: Thiram/Captan (4 g/kg) or Chlorothalonil. Drenching:
Copper oxychloride 0.25% or Bordeaux mixture 1% or Metalaxyl 0.1%.
2. Powdery mildew
• Casual Organism: Oidium caricae
• Symptoms: White mycelial growth on upper leaf surface, ower stalks, fruit. Severe
attack causes yellowing and defoliation.
• Pathogen: Obligate parasite. Conidia.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Wind-borne conidia.
• Management: Spray Wettable Sulphur 0.25% or Dinocap 0.05% or Chinomethionate
0.1% or Tridemorph 0.1%.
3. Papaya ring spot: 1st in Pune and Mumbai- 1947
• Casual Organism: Papaya ring spot virus
• Symptoms: Vein clearing, puckering, chlorophyll leaf tissues lobbing in. Leaf margins/
distal parts roll downward/inward. Mosaic mottling, dark green blisters, leaf distortion
(shoe string system), stunting. Shoe string symptom. Circular concentric rings on fruits.
• ss RNA virus particles. Thermal inactivation point 54-60˚C.
• Mode of Spread: Aphids (Aphis gossypii, A. craccivora). Spreads to cucurbits, not seed-
borne.
• Management: Raise sorghum/maize as barrier crop. Do not raise cucurbits near eld.
4. Leaf curl
• Casual Organism: Papaya leaf curl virus
• Symptoms: Curling, crinkling, distortion of leaves. Reduced leaf lamina. Rolling of leaf
margins inward/downward. Thickening of veins. Leaves leathery, brittle.
• Mode of Spread: White y (Bemisia tabaci).
• Management: Uproot affected plants. Avoid growing tomato/tobacco near papaya.
Spray systemic insecticides for vector control.
5. Anthracnose
• Casual Organism: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
• Management: Spray Carbendazim 0.1% or Chlorothalonil 0.2% or Mancozeb 0.2%.

Diseases of Pomegranate
1. Cercospora Fruit Spot
• Casual Organism: Cercospora punicae
• Symptoms: Small irregular black spots on fruits, coalescing into big spots.
• Management: Collect and destroy diseased fruits. Spray Mancozeb 0.25% (2-3 sprays at
15-day intervals).
2. Leaf Spot or Blight
fl
fl
fi
• Casual Organisms: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Pseudocercospora punicae, Curvularia
lunata, and Cercospora punicae
• Symptoms: Small, irregular, water-soaked spots on leaves. Affected leaves fall off.
• Pathogen: Conidiophores -Conidia
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Wind-borne conidia.
• Management: Spray Mancozeb 0.25%
3. Alternaria Fruit Spot
• Casual Organism: Alternaria alternata
• Symptoms: Small reddish-brown circular spots on fruits. Coalesce to form larger
patches, fruits rot. Arils affected, become pale, un t for consumption.
• Management: Collect and destroy affected fruits. Spray Mancozeb 0.25%.
4. Pomegranate Wilt Complex
• Casual Organisms: Ceratocystis mbriata, Meloidogyne incognita (nematode), and scolytid
beetle (Xyleborus fornicatus)
• History: First noticed 1990 in Vijayapura, Karnataka.
• Symptoms: Yellowing and wilting of leaves on branches, leading to plant death. Cross-
section shows brown discoloration from outer xylem (roots to trunk).
• Pathogen (C. mbriata): Ascospores ,Conidiophores- conidia
• Transmission: Scolytid beetle (Xyleborus fornicatus) acts as vector.
• Management: Drip irrigation. Drench infected plants with Carbendazim 50 WP (2g/l) or
Propiconazole 25 EC (2ml/l) + Chloropyriphos 20EC (4ml/l). Treat healthy surrounding
plants. Apply Phorate 35g/tree. Apply neem cake 500 g/plant twice/year.
5. Fruit Rot
• Casual Organism: Aspergillus foetidus
• Symptoms: Round black spots on fruit/petiole, starting from calyx end, covering entire
fruit. Fruit rots, emits foul odor.
• Management: Spray Bavistin (0.5%), Dithane M-45 (0.25%), or Dithane Z-78 (0.25%) at
10-15 day intervals from owering onset.
6. Bacterial Blight
• Casual Organism: Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae
• Symptoms: Small, irregular, water-soaked spots on leaves (2-5 mm, necrotic center,
translucent, turn light/dark brown with water-soaked margins, coalesce). Severely
infected leaves defoliate. On stem: brown/black spots around nodes, girdling, cracking,
broken branches. On fruits: raised, oily, brown/black spots.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Survives on tree, on fallen leaves. Primary infection:
infected cuttings. Spreads via wind and splashed rains.
• Favourable Conditions: High temp (30-34°C), low humidity (80-85% RH favorable for
multiplication).
• Management: Proper spacing (4.5 x 3.0m). Windbreaks. Enrich soil with organics/bio-
agents (Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas uorescens, Bacillus subtilis). Remove rst-
year bearing owers. One crop/year (Hasta bahar/Ambe). Before pruning: spray 1%
Bordeaux mixture, then defoliate with ethrel. Collect/burn defoliated leaves. Apply
Bleaching powder (20-25 kg/ha) at plant base (100 g/plant). Disinfect pruning knife/
secateurs (sodium hypochlorite 25 ml/l). After pruning: paste stem with streptocycline
(0.5g/l) or Bromopal + Copper oxychloride (2.0 g/l) + red oxide/soil. Spray
fl
fi
fl
fi
fl
fi
fi
 streptocycline/Bromopal + Copper oxychloride (5-6 sprays at 10-day intervals). Apply
bio-agents (Pseudomonas uorescens, Bacillus subtilis 10g/l). Apply micronutrients (Zn, B,
Ca, Mg) after antibiotic spray. Hasta bahar effective if disease pressure high. September-
October pruning good. If June-July pruning, rest plants Dec-May. Avoid unnecessary
sprays.

Diseases of Guava
1. Anthracnose
• Casual Organism: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
• Management: Spray Mancozeb 0.25%.
2. Guava Rust
• Casual Organism: Puccinia psidii
• Symptoms: Affects foliage, young shoots, in orescences, fruit. Distortion, defoliation,
reduced growth, mortality if severe. On expanded leaves: dark-bordered, circular brown
lesions with yellow halos.
3. Wilt
• Casual Organisms: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. psidii, F. solani, Macrophomina phaseolina,
Cephalosporium sp., Gliocladium roseum, and Verticillium alboarum.
• Economic Importance: First reported 1935 (Allahabad).
• Symptoms: Yellowing, slight leaf curling at terminal branches (later reddish), premature
leaf shedding. Twigs bare, no new leaves/ owers, dry up. Fruits underdeveloped, hard,
black, stony. Entire plant defoliates, dies. Partial wilting common. Finer roots show black
streaks/rotting at basal region, bark easily detachable. Light brown vascular
discoloration. Bark splitting in later stages.
• Favourable Conditions: pH 6.0 optimum (pH 4.0/8.0 reduces). More in clay loam/
sandy loam. Higher incidence monsoon (Aug-Sept/Oct). Nematode Helicotylenchus
dihystera presence.
• Management:
◦
Cultural: dig 1.0-1.5m trench, treat pits with formalin, Avoid root damage during
transplanting. Maintain tree vigor (manuring, inter-culture, irrigation). Intercropping
(turmeric/marigold). Soil solarization (polythene sheet). Apply oil cakes (neem,
mahua, kusum) + urea (e.g., 6kg neem cake + 2kg gypsum/plant). Judicious N/Zn
amendments.
◦
Intercropping with turmeric or marigld.
◦
Soil solariztion
◦
Resistant variety: Apple guava
◦
Host Resistance: Resistant variety: Apple guava.
◦
Biological: Aspergillus niger strain AN 17, Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma harzianum,
Penicillium citrinum. 1
◦
Chemical: Stem injection 0.1% 8-Quinolinol sulphate. Drench 0.2% Benomyl/
Carbendazim (4 times/year). Spray Measystox/Zinc sulphate (twice). Soil
disinfestation with Metam-sodium (252 ml/10m²) for nematodes.

Diseases of Coconut
1. Bud Rot
fl
fl
fl
• Casual Organism: Phytophthora palmivora
• Symptoms: Central shoot (spindle) discolors (brown instead of yellowish-brown),
droops, breaks. Leaves lose luster, turn pale yellow. Entire crown base rots, foul smell.
Central shoot pulls out easily. Leaves fall successively from top. Complete leaf shedding,
wilting, tree death within months.
• Pathogen: sporangiophores. Sporangia release zoospores. Thick-walled, spherical
oospores. Thick-walled, yellowish-brown chlamydospores.
• Favourable Conditions: High rainfall, high RH (>90%), low temp (18-20°C), wounds
(tappers, Rhinoceros beetles).
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Dormant mycelium in infected tissues.
Chlamydospores/oospores in crop residues in soil. Primary spread: airborne sporangia/
zoospores. Rainfall, insects, tappers aid spread.
• Management: protect cut with Bordeaux paste. Prophylactic spray 1% Bordeaux mixture
to healthy palms nearby and before monsoon.
• Datitaka disease: by phytoplasma, gives high yield and die.
2. Basal Stem Rot (Thanjavur wilt / Bole rot)
• Casual Organism: Ganoderma lucidum
• Symptoms: Trees 10-30 years old affected. Soil-borne, infects roots. Yellowing, withering,
drooping of outer fronds (hang around trunk, shed later). New fronds smaller,
yellowish, don't unfold. Soft rot in bud, Spindle blows off, leaving decapitated stem.
Bleeding patches near trunk base (brown gummy liquid oozes from cracks, dries to black
crust). Tissues below cracks decay.
• Pathogen: basidiocarp (bracket) attached to tree. Basidiospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Sandy loam/sandy soils, waterlogging (severe rains), low soil
moisture (summer), weevil/beetle damage.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Soil-borne, survives long. Primary infection:
basidiospores in soil attack roots. Irrigation/rain water aid spread.
• Management: Irrigate palms fortnightly in summer. Apply heavy FYM/compost/green
manure (50 Kg/tree/year) + 5 kg neem cake. Drench soil near tree with 40 litres 1%
Bordeaux mixture quarterly (thrice/year), Aureofunginsol (2g) + Copper sulphate (1g) in
100 ml water or Tridemorph (2ml/100 ml water) via stem injection/root feeding
quarterly for one year.
3. Stem Bleeding
• Casual Organism: Theilaviopsis paradoxa (Sexual stage: Ceratocystis paradoxa)
• Symptoms: Exudation of reddish-brown uid from stem cracks.
• Pathogen: Two conidia types: Macroconidia (spherical, dark green, singly/chains on
conidiophores). Microconidia .Asci -ascospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Copious irrigation/rainfall followed by drought. Shallow
loamy/laterite soil with clay/rock layer. Poor garden maintenance. Damage by
Diocalandra and Xyleborus beetles.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Survives in infected plant debris/soil as perithecia/
conidia. Mainly wind-borne conidia. Irrigation/rain water aid spread. Beetles feeding on
diseased plants aid transmission.
• Management: Maintain gardens with adequate fertilization. Scoop out diseased tissue
(with healthy portion), burn exposed tissue, apply molten coal tar, swab Bordeaux paste.
fl
 If associated with Ganoderma, follow root feeding/stem injection. Irrigate during
summer.
4. Grey Leaf Blight
• Casual Organism: Pestalotia palmarum

Diseases of Coffee
1. Coffee Leaf Rust
• Casual Organism: Hemileia vastatrix
• Symptoms: Small, pale-yellow spots on lower leaf surface. Orange-yellow spore mass
appears. Defoliation and die-back.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: uredospores, spread by rain splash/wind. Insects/birds
carry spores long distances. Infection requires water for uredospore germination, occurs
only through stomata (underside of leaf).
• Management: Three applications of 0.5% Bordeaux mixture for susceptible varieties.
2. Black Rot (Koleroga Roxia)
• Economic Importance: In India, occurs in Karnataka/Tamil Nadu. Severe in C. arabica
areas, in uenced by SW monsoon (June-Sept).
• Symptoms: Blackening and rotting of affected leaves, young twigs, berries. Affected
leaves detach, hang down by slimy fungal strands. Defoliation and berry drop.
• Pathogen: Fructi cations with numerous basidia/basidiospores (simple, oval, rounded/
pyriform).
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Pathogen penetrates leaves via stomata (lower side),
hyphae invade intercellularly. Spreads primarily by contact (leaf to leaf) via vegetative
mycelium. Spreads through infected plant debris. Mycelium persists in twigs year-
round.
• Management: Remove/burn affected parts. Apply 1% Bordeaux mixture near SW
monsoon if needed. Center coffee bushes, regulate overhead canopy.
3. Berry Blotch
• Symptoms: Necrotic spots on exposed surface of green berries, enlarge to cover major
portion. Fruit skin shrivels, sticks fast.
• Pathogen: Cercospora coffeicola - conidiophores
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Seed-borne. Conidia spread by wind.
• Management: Spray 1% Bordeaux mixture during June and late August. Maintain
medium shade overhead.
4. Damping off / Collar Rot
• Casual Organism: Rhizocotonia solani
• Symptoms: Pre-emergence and post-emergence damping off. Post-emergence: collar
region near soil infected, leading to tissue rotting and seedling death.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Soil-borne.
• Management: Soil drenching with Copper oxychloride 0.25%.
5. Dieback or Anthracnose
• Casual Organism: Collectorichum coffeanum
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Fungus is saprophyte on dead tissue (outer bark), major
inoculum source. Releases large numbers of water-borne conidia during wet season.
fl
fi
 Conidia spread by rainwater (percolating through canopy, rain splash between trees).
Long-distance dispersal by passive vectors (birds, machinery). 1
• Management: Spraying Mancozeb 0.25%.

Diseases of Tea
1. Blister Blight
• Casual Organism: Exobasidium vexans
• Symptoms: Small pale/pinkish circular spots on leaves. Upper surface spots light
brown, depressed. Under surface bulges (blister-like swelling), covered with white
powdery fungal growth. Coalescing spots cause leaf curling. Spreads to young succulent
stems, affected portions wither. Reduced leaf yield, affected tea bush vigor.
• Pathogen: Produces conidia (most abundant, singly at tip of long stalks) and
basidiospores (large numbers on surface, no continuous hymenium).
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Produces conidia/basidiospores in same blister. Spores
airborne. Perpetuates from pre-existing infected bushes.
• Management: Spray Copper oxychloride 0.25%. Prophylactic spray 210g COC + 210g
nickel chloride/ha (5-day intervals June-Sept, 11-day intervals Oct-Nov). Systemic
insecticides Chlorotalonil, Bayleton, Tridemorph also effective. Tridemorph (340/60 ml/
ha) satisfactory under mild/moderate rainfall.
2. Black Rot
• Casual Organism: Corticium invisum and C. theae
• Symptoms: Small dark brown irregular spots on leaf, coalesce to produce dark brown
patch covering whole leaf, causing drop. Before turning black, lower surface assumes
white powdery appearance.
• Pathogen: Fructi cations with numerous basidia/basidiospores.
• Mode of Spread and Survival: Basidiospores carried by workers. Develops rapidly in
high temp/humid air. Germinate at rainfall onset/dew, produce hyphae for new
infection.
• Epidemiology: Occurs in nursery shaded with Crotalaria. Basidiospores germinate only
in wet weather/dew.
• Management: Prune late Dec. Spray copper fungicide third week April.
3. Red Rust: by algae
• Casual Organism: Cephaleurus mycoidea
• Symptoms: Orange-yellow, circular patches on upper leaf surface. Spots turn brown, dry
up. Affects stem, hardens prematurely.
• Pathogen: Also attacks Tephrosia sp. and Desmodium gyroides (green manure/shade
plants).
• Epidemiology: Rainy season best suited for algae propagation.
• Management: Remove infected portion. Spray Copper oxychloride 0.25%.

Diseases of Ginger
1. Rhizome Rot/Soft Rot
• Casual Organism: Pythium sp.
• Symptoms: Pre-emergence damping off (sprouts fail). Post-sprouting: leaves pale green,
yellowing from top downwards along leaf blade/sheath margin. Yellowing followed by
fi
 wilting/drying, extending to leaf sheath, entire shoot dries. On stem: translucent brown
lesion at collar, water-soaked/soft, Soft rot spreads from collar to rhizomes, discolored,
decompose to watery mass. Roots from affected rhizome rot. Rotting in stored rhizomes.
• Disease Cycle: Primary infection: survives in soil/infected rhizomes as oospores.
Secondary infection: spreads through irrigation water as zoospores.
• Favourable Conditions: Mimegralla ies play role in spread.
• Management: Crop rotation (3-5 years non-host). Avoid water stagnation. Rhizome
treatment: Metalaxyl (0.2%). Drench eld: COC (0.3%) or Metalaxyl (0.2%). Control
Mimegralla insects: 0.05% methyl parathion.
2. Phyllosticta Leaf Spot
• Casual Organism: Phyllosticta zingiberi T.S. Ramakr.
• Symptoms: Small oval to elongated spots on leaves, later white papery center, dark
brown margins, yellow halo. Affected leaves suffer extensive desiccation, shredded,
dis gured.
• Pathogen: Pycnidiospores
• Disease Cycle and Epidemiology: Overwinters in infected plant debris/seed rhizomes.
Appears late June (temp 23.4-29.6˚C, RH 83.3-90.2%). Aggravates/spreads fast in July
(increased rain). Higher rain intensity/wind splashes fungus further, increasing
incidence.
• Management: rhizomes: steep in Mancozeb (0.25%) + Carbendazim (0.1%) for 60 min
before sowing, dry 48h. Spray crop: Mancozeb (0.25%) or Carbendazim (0.1%) or
combination (Mancozeb 0.25% + Carbendazim 0.05%), repeat 10-14 days. Cultivars like
Narasapatom, Tura, Nadia, Tetraploid, Thingpani are moderately resistant.
3. Bacterial Wilt
• Casual Organism: Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al.
• Disease Cycle and Epidemiology: Perpetuates through infected rhizomes/soil. Biotype
III causes disease in India. Wide host range (cultivated/weeds). Nematodes positively/
signi cantly affect development.
• Management: Treat seed rhizomes: Streptocycline (100 ppm) for 30 min before planting.
Spray crop: Streptocycline (100 ppm) from 1 month post-transplanting, repeat
fortnightly.
4. Root-knot Nematodes
• Casual Organism: Meloidogyne incognita
• Symptoms: Similar to root gall on tomato, cucurbits, lettuce. Stunted growth, partial
yellowing. On roots: irregular round galls, spindle-shaped enlargements on tap/side
roots. Nematode larvae feed on roots, causing swellings/knots. Roots often stunted/
deformed.
• Pathogen: Plant parasitic nematode. Sedentary, endoparasitic, gall-producing. Infective
stage: second stage juveniles.
• Disease Cycle and Epidemiology: Second stage juveniles in soil search for site (behind
root cap), feed on epidermal cells, penetrate cortical layers. Reach stellar region, form
giant cells for feeding. Initiate gall formation, Life cycle 3-4 weeks (optimum). Moderate
temp (29-30˚C), higher RH (79-80%) favor reproduction/spread.
fi
fi
fl
fi
• Management: antagonistic crops (1-2 years). Groundnut-mustard rotation most effective.
Biocontrol agents (Paecilomyces lilacinus, Pasteuria penetrans, Pseudomonas uorescens)
effective.

DISEASES OF OILPALM
1) Bunch rot: Marasmius palmivora
2)Spear rot: Phytoplasma disease
Spear rot is an endemic disease in Kerala state.
Symptoms:
Disease is characterized by chlorosis of young whorl of leaves followed by
necrosis.
Rotting of spear leaves
Reduction is leaf size Tetracycline injection 500ppm to trunk reduces the disease.
Rougueing of affected plants.
Planting of barrier trees to isolate the infection source of other palms.
3) Curvularia leaf spot - Curvularia lunata, C. geniculata

fl