1ATMA-Sri Muktsar, Sahib-Punjab, India
2Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
*Corresponding author: arora.ashish11@yahoo.com
Online published on 1 September, 2016.
Bacterial blight of pomegranate is among the most devastating natural calamity that inflicted huge losses to pomegranate crop productivity especially in India during the last 24 years. The dilemma of bacterial blight is still under discussion among the researchers since its appearance in 1952. Symptoms of the disease manifested as numerous, small, segregated, depressed, discoloured and typically water-soaked spots. The epidemiology of the disease remains prevalent in mild to moderate form throughout the year at higher temperature ranged between 20.0–43.0° C during April-July and become severe under highly humid conditions (>80%) and moderate temperature (25–35° C) during rainy season. None of the genotypes exhibited resistant against bacterial blight. Some genotypes found moderately susceptible against bacterial blight of pomegranate. Management of the disease is only by various chemicals.
• Many experiments and studies by various authors revealed that bacterial blight of pomegranate is caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae.
• Disease can occur in epidemic under highly humid conditions (>80%) and moderate temperature (25–35° C) during rainy season.
• Disease can be managed by use of copper (copper oxychloride and copper hydroxide) salt with combination of any antibiotic.
Bacterial blight, pomegranate, Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae, epidemiology, screening, management
