Prevalence of Phomopsisvexans (Diaporthevexans) causing leaf blight and fruit rot disease of Brinjal in Jharkhand

Abstract

Brinjal (Solanummelongena L.) is an important vegetable crop which gives very high economic return to the growers. Fruit rot caused by Phomopsisvexans (Sacc. & Syd.) is one of the major constraints in its successful cultivation. During survey, the disease was prevalent in all area surveyed. The incidence of disease ranged from 18.33 to 62.00per cent in different locations. Maximum incidence (62.0 per cent) was recorded in the cultivar Pusa Purple Long at Technology Park of Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi whereas least disease incidence (18.33 per cent) was recorded in cultivar Pratima at Nagri village of Kanke block. It causes damping-off of seedlings in nursery, leaf blight; fruit rot and stem blight at various stages of plant growth and development. It produces two types of conidia such as alpha and beta; alpha conidia are hyaline, biguttulate, oval and infective and beta conidia are the diagnostic feature of the genus Phomopsis. Pathogenicity of the pathogen was proved by seed, soil, leaves and fruit inoculations. Maximum seedling mortality (40 %) was observed in seed and soil inoculation followed by seed inoculated in healthy soil (9 %) and healthy seed sown in inoculated soil (6 %).