Management of Seed and Seedling Diseases of Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Through Seed Treatment

Aspergillus niger and Rhizoctonia bataticola are the potential fungi which cause seed rot and seeding blight leading to sub-optimal plant stand in groundnut. Seed treatment with fungicides was found to check the damage due to these fungi under artificial infestation. Carbendazim SD (0.05% + Captan 0.125%) was found to be the best of the treatments tried in reducing seed rot pre and post-emergence seedling blight and increasing pod yields significantly in all the three seasons of field experimentation. Captafol (0.25%) closely followed the above treatment.