Evaluation of botanicals against the mycelial growth, sporulation and spore germination of Alternaria cassiae causing alternaria leaf blight of cowpea

Abstract

Cowpea Vigna unguiculata (L) walp is an important leguminous vegetable crop for the livelihood of poor people in underveloped countries and can be used for various purposes such as food crop, cash crop and animal feed. In recent year Alternaria blight of cowpea is the most important disease in India. It occurs in endemic form in some region. The disease has gained importance because of changing climate. To achive resistance against alterneria or other foliar diseases, botanical fungicieds are most widely used as they are ecofriendly and harmless to humens. So keeping in mind this aspects present study was aimed to identify suitable botanicals use to find out there antagonastic efficacy against mycelial growth, sporulation and spore germination of Alternaria cassiae.Present experiment was conducted at plant pathology labaoratory JNKVV Jabalpur with the help of Completly Randomise Block Design with three replication.Botanicals like Azadirachta indica,Pongamia pinnata, Bougainvillea sp., Acacia nilotica, Eucalyptus globules, Polyanthia longifolia, Lawsoniainermeris, Thuja compacta, Camera lantanawere used to identify the efficacy of botanicals against Alternaria cassiaeusing poisoned food technique. Findings revealed that Inhibition of Mycelial growth, sporulation and spore germination percentage of A. cassiae was minimum in Babool leaf extract followed by thuja leaf extract.