Studies on Wilt Complex Disease of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is one of the important arid zone fruit crop which is infected by soil born pathogen like Fusarium oxysporum Schl., Ceratocystis fimbriata and nematode which are responsible to cause wilt disease in pomegranate. Pomegranate wilt is considered to be one of the very destructive disease and causes losses about 5 to 10 per cent and hence the studies were undertaken on this disease with the objectives viz., isolation of causal organism, it's identification, pathogenicity, symptomatology of disease, cultural characteristics, in-vitro efficacy of fungicide against pathogen F. oxysporum Schl. and C. fimbriata.Among the various culture media used, oatmeal agar and Potato dextrose agar were excellent media for good growth of C.fimbriata and F. oxysporum Schl. fungus. In-vitro evaluation of systemic fungicide against C. fimbriata it was observed that hexaconazole and tricyclazole completely inhibited colony growth of pathogen. This treatment was found significantly superior to the rest of the fungicide treatments. Among non systemic fungicides copper oxychloride and mancozeb were found to be most effective. In-vitro evaluation of systemic fungicide against F. oxysporum Schl. Among the fungicide tested it was observed that carbendazim completely inhibited the growth colony of pathogen and in non-systemic fungicides mancozeb completely inhibited the growth of Fusarium fungus. The highest reduction percent of wilt incidence was observed in Tricoderma plus, neem cake and neem cake + Tricoderma plus in pot culture experiment under glass house condition.