Plant Disease Research

The prevalence of Papaya leaf curl virus (PaLCuV) was recorded at PAU, Ludhiana during 2013–15. The incidence was 54.33 per cent in nurseries, 53.55 per cent in orchards and 3.57 per cent in the protected condition in papaya nurseries and orchards of Fazilka, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Muktsar and Sangrur districts of Punjab. Cent per cent disease incidence was recorded in Janta, National and Pehelwan nurseries of Malerkotla of district Sangrur and minimum disease incidence (45.01%) in Punjab Nursery of Malerkotla, Sangrur. The highest disease incidence (100%) was recorded in residential area of Ludhiana and Kisan Nursery of Malerkotla of district Sangrur. under protected condition, the nursery and grown papaya plants remained free from paLCuV infection.

Management of the disease was carried out by growing plants under protected condition and by spraying field grown plants with insecticides for the control of vector, whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gen.). Protected papaya plants remained completely free from PaLCuV infection, whereas 88.23 per cent plants under field condition showed the symptoms. Among, the Diafenthiuron 50 WP, Ethion 50 EC and Malathion 50 EC; Ethion 50 EC @ 2 ml/litre was found significantly effective in reducing the disease incidence.