Department of Plant Pathology, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
Abstracts of Research Papers Presented during the National Symposium of Indian Virological Society at Unit of Plant Virology, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110 012, October 14–1.
Sunflower was initially grown as an ornamental plant and later it became an economically important crop because of its high quality digestible oil. Sunflower is currently grown over an area of 2.7 million ha. Sunflower necrosis virus caused extensive damage to sunflower crop. The disease has become a major limiting factor in sunflower production and upto 80 per cent incidence of the disease was recorded in sunflower growing areas. The Sunflower necrosis virus (SFNV) induces necrosis on leaves followed by necrosis on petioles and floral calyx. It has a wide host range of cultivated crops and weeds as hosts. Various anti viral principles viz., Prosopis, goatmilk, Bougainvillea alone and in combinations were used to induce the resistance in sunflower against the sunflower necrosis virus. Among the various treatments, Bougainvillea spectablis with goatmilk, Prosopis chilensis with goat milk (P+GM), Bougainvillea spectablis alone (BA), and Prosopis chilensis alone (PA) were found to be highly effective in inducing the resistance in sunflower against SFNV. The combination treatments involving plant products with GM were more effective than the individual ones. The AVP treated sunflower plants significantly enhanced PR-Proteins like b-1,3 glucanase and oxidative enzymes like Peroxidase, Polyphenol oxidase, and Phenylalanine ammonialyase in sunflower.
