Management of Powdery Mildew of Okra Caused by Erysiphe Cichoracearum DC

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is an economically important vegetable crop cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical regions. However, its productivity is adversely affected by several diseases, among which powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe cichoracearum is one of the most destructive diseases limiting okra production. The disease causes severe infection on leaves, stems and pods, resulting in reduced photosynthetic activity, poor plant growth and significant yield losses under favourable environmental conditions. Therefore, an experiment was conducted under field conditions to evaluate the efficacy of different fungicides and bioagents for the management of powdery mildew of okra. Among the fungicidal treatments, Myclobutanil 10% WP was found to be significantly superior in reducing disease severity, followed by Azoxystrobin 23% SC, Myclobutanil 10% WP recorded the maximum disease control of 74.33 per cent over untreated control, with the highest yield of 138.77 q ha^-1 and a benefit-cost ratio of 1:3.73. Among the bioagents tested, Ampelomyces quisqualis proved to be comparatively effective, registering 52.87 per cent disease control with a B:C ratio of 1:2.98. The results indicate that Myclobutanil 10% WP can be effectively used for the management of powdery mildew of okra, while Ampelomyces quisqualis may serve as a promising eco-friendly component in integrated disease management strategies.