Studies on the management of apple seedling blight (Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.) through fungicides, botanicals, and nutrients
摘要
Seedling blight is an important disease among apple nursery diseases. A causal organism of the disease was isolated and its identity was confirmed as a Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. To devise management, recent fungicides, commonly available botanicals, and nutrients were evaluated through the poisoned food technique. Among the fungicides, carboxin + thiram, pyraclostrobin + fluxapyroxad, and propiconazole showed 100% inhibition of fungal radial growth followed by fluopyram + tebuconazole (93.89%). In case of botanicals, the extracts from Allium sativum showed 100% inhibition at all the tested concentrations. Among seven nutrients tested through the poisoned food technique, only boron shows inhibition of 94.28% at 500 ppm concentration. Selected fungicides, botanical and nutrients were evaluated in the field for management of S. rolfsii. Among nine treatments, propiconazole @ 1 ml L-1 showed maximum survival (65%) of apple seedlings followed by fluopyram + tebuconazole @ 0.625 ml L-1 (43%). Garlic extract @ 5% resulted in 25% seedling survival, while boron @ 500 ppm showed the lowest efficacy with only 3% survival. The current study recommends the use of propiconazole @ 1 ml L-1 and fluopyram + tebuconazole @ 0.625 ml L-1 for the management of seedling blight disease.