Eco-friendly management of early blight of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) caused by Alternaria solani (Ellis and Martin)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the research plot of the Department of Plant Pathology, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh in Rabi season of 2023 to evaluate six treatments viz., T1 - Trichoderma viride (S.T) @ 25 g + Eucalyptus leaf extract (F.S) @10%, T2 - Pseudomonas fluorescens (S.T) @ 25 g + Neem leaf extract, T3 - Cocopeat (S.T) @ 20g + Lantana leaf extract (F.S) @ 10%, T4 - Trichoderma viride (S.T) @ 25 g + Papaya leaf extract (F.S) @10%, T5 - Pseudomonas fluorescens (S.T) @ 25 g + Madar leaf extract (F.S) @ 10%, T6 - Mancozeb @ 0.2% (F.S) (treated control) and control T0 (untreated control) with three replications in Randomized Block Design (RBD) for management of early blight of tomato and also to increase the yield. Study on growth parameters and disease intensity of early blight of tomato in field conditions revealed that the Minimum percent disease intensity (%) was recorded in T1 – 30.88% Trichoderma viride @ 25 g (S.T) combined with Eucalyptus leaf extract @ 10% (F.S) as compared with the untreated control T0 – 47.43% and treated check T6 – 29.84% Mancozeb @ 0.2% (F.S) PDI. Based on the similar results of the study reveals the fruit yield ton/ha per treatment yield recorded in tomato. Maximum fruit yield was recorded in T1 – Trichoderma viride @ 25g (S.T) combined with Eucalyptus leaf extract @ 10% (F.S) recorded 9.86 ton/ha fruit yield recorded in tomato with maximum benefit cost ratio per treatment was recorded 1:1.88 benefit cost ratio in tomato.