Department of Plant Pathology, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125 004, Haryana, India
*Corresponding author's e-mail and address: rstaya7@gmail.com, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, KVK, Damla, Yamunanagar
Online published on 30 December, 2017.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important short duration crop which can be grown in all seasons and produces high qualityedible and industrial oil, besides animal feed and fodders. Sclerotium rolfsii cause both pre and post-emergence mortality ofyoungseedlingsbesidesinciting collar rot inadultplantsisconsidered tobepotentialbioticlimiting factor for cultivation of sunflower. Keeping this fact in view, few fungicides and bio-agents were tested as seed treatment and soil application to manage the collar rot of sunflower under screen house and field conditions. Results indicated that use of fungicides and bioagents as seed and soil treatments significantly reduced the incidence of collar rot. Under screen house conditions, maximum disease control (75.15%) was obtained by Vitavax power (carboxin + thiram) @ 2g/kg seed followed by captan 50 WP @ 3g/kg (70.35%). Trichoderma harzianum @ 20g/kg soil application showed maximum control of the disease (40.62%) as compared to untreated control. Results of studies conducted under field conditions revealed that seed treatment with captan 50 WP @ 3g/kg seed was found most effective treatment in controlling the disease incidence (73.38%). Among the different bio-agent evaluated, Pseudomonas fluorescensas as soil application gave maximum disease control (55.11%) of collar rot of sunflower and also maximum seed yield
Collar rot, Helianthus annuus L, Management, Sclerotium rolfsii
