Eco-friendly management of Alternaria blight of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Carrot (Daucus carota L.), an important root crop of European countries and America, is becoming popular in India due to its high nutritive and medicinal value, and good taste. Alternaria leaf blight of carrot (Alternaria dauci) causes serious damage to the crop (up to 60%). To formulate an ecofriendly management strategy, attempts were made to standardize depth of sowing, selected appropriate inter crop and resistant cultivar. The incidence of Alternaria leaf blight of carrot due to A. radicina was maximum when carrot was sown in shallow and minimum depth of soil. Intercropping of carrot with radish was effective in reducing the disease intensity. Growing of single row carrot in double row of radish and planting as early as on 10^th October effective by reduced the disease incidence. Ten available varieties of carrot were screened for disease resistance. None was found to be immune but only two (Samson and Nandril) appeared to be resistance which can be utilized for breeding programme for Alternaria leaf blight of carrot. Spraying with Indofil M-45 significantly reduced leaf blight (16.20%) and subsequently increased root yield (250 q/h).