Chemical and Non-chemical Methods in Managing Scale Rot, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lilii of Lilium

Scale rot or basal rot is a destructive disease of lily causing more than 20 per cent incidence under warm soil conditions. In order to mitigate the losses and manage the disease effectively it is proposed in the present study to introduce both the chemical as well as non-chemical methods such as biological control alone and together with neem cake to maintain the soil health and environment pollution to minimum. Carbendazim and chlorothalonil among the fungicides showed highest efficacy under field conditions by giving less disease. Combinations of Trichoderma viride +neem cake and T. harazianum + neem cake checked the incidence to maximum in artificially infested soils and required second application after 45 days to reduce the scale rot. Cultivars Spring Pink, Jollanda and Stargazer White showed somewhat resistant reaction compared to Pollyana, Beatrix and Cote-D-Azer. However, other growth parameters varied according to the cultivars.