Impact of Fungal Diseases on Mustard Yield - Farmers’ Perception and Garlic Clove Extract in Management of Sclerotinia Rot

Major constraints in mustard production were identified through Participatory Rural Appraisal technique in eight villages spread over four tehsils of Bharatpur district, Rajaslhan, India. Sclerotinia rot. Orobanche and Alternaria blight were rated as the three primary constraints experienced by mustard growers. Randomly, 270 farmers were queried with preset questionnaire to assess perception yield losses due to these important diseases. On the basis of Rank Based Quotient and Value Based Index (VBI), - Sclerotinia rot (VBI- 2735) was considered the most important threat to mustard crop in the district due to extent of yield loss to the crop. Under Institute-Village Linkage Programme, results comprehensively proved that application of aqueous garlic clove extract as seed treatment (1% w/v) followed by a foliar spray at 50 days after sowing could be a user-friendly, effective and economic non-chemical means of managing Sclerotinia rot of mustard.