Integrated disease management practices for the control of bacterial blight in pomegranate in karnataka

Pomegrante (Punica granatum L.) is mainly grown in states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Changing climatic scenario and intensive cultivation practices led to outbreak of bacterial blight disease caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae in pomegranate leading to heavy losses ranging from 30–50 per cent depending on the pathogenic load in orchard and aberrant climatic conditions. Pomegranate orchards at Bagalkote district in Karnataka are severely affected by bacterial blight disease to the tune of 40 per cent. For the management of bacterial blight of Pomegranate, Integrated Disease Management (IDM) practices developed by UAS, Dharwad were demonstrated under Front Line Demonstration (FLD) by ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bagalkote at Kaladagi village during the year 2016–17 and 2017–18. Method demonstration in farmers’ pomegranate orchard at Kaladagi village comprised of sanitation practices including removal of infected shoots, pasting of stem and branches with Bordeaux mixture @ 1% foliar spray of copperoxychloride @ 3g/l, streptocycline @ 0.5g/l, Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 5g/l against oily spot disease of pomegranate, which benefited growers. The incidence of bacterial blight in pomegranate and yield in IDM demonstrated and Farmers’ Practice fields during the year 2016–17 and 2017–18 were recorded. Percent Disease Incidence (PDI) in IDM demonstrated fields was 26.35 with yield of 13.50 t/ha and BC ratio of 5.69. However, the disease incidence in farmers’ practice orchard was 38.95, with yield 9.75 t/ha and BC ratio 3.31. In IDM demonstrated orchards there was reduction of disease by 32.34 per cent and increase in the yield levels by 38.46 per cent.