Efficacy of different fungicides, botanicals, nanoformulations and bio-control agents against Colletotrichum siamense causing fruit drop in Kinnow mandarin Kaur Amrinder*, Kaur Daman Preet, Arora Anita1, Singh Harpreet1 Department of Plant Pathology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 1Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004 *E-mail: augaulakh@pau.edu
Online published on 10 September, 2024. Abstract Fruit drop (Colletotrichum siamense) in Kinnow mandarin is a major problem causing quantitative and qualitative losses, globally to the growers. Keeping in view, an attempt has been made to manage the disease by various systemic and non-systemic fungicides, botanicals, nano-formulations and bio-control agents under in vitro conditions. The field evaluation of different treatments was also carried out at Fruit Research farm, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on Kinnow trees during 2021 and 2022. Among various treatments evaluated for their inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth of Colletotrichum siamense, azoxystrobin 18.2% + difenoconazole 11.4% SC and propiconazole 25% EC proved to be the most effective by inhibiting 100 % and 88.33% mycelial growth at 25 ppm concentration, respectively. Among, non-systemic fungicides copper oxychloride 50% WP exhibited 100% mycelial growth inhibition at 1000 ppm concentration. In case of botanicals and bio-control agents, maximum mycelial growth inhibition was shown by neem extract (47.96%) and T. harzianum (55.12%), respectively while the nano-formulations were found least effective in inhibiting the growth of the pathogen under in-vitro conditions. Under field conditions, the fungicides treatment of azoxystrobin 18.2% + difenoconazole 11.4% SC (63.81%) and propiconazole 25% EC (59.12%) were significantly effective in reducing per cent fruit drop over control while neem extract (33.61%) was at par with T. harzianum (33.41%) during the two consecutive years. Thus, these disease management strategies could be further incorporated in the IDM programmes for effective management of fruit drop in Kinnow mandarin. Top Keywords Kinnow mandarin, Anthracnose, Colletotrichum siamense, Fungicides, Botanicals, Bio-control agents, Nanoformulations, Management. Top |