Good agronomic practices (gap) - An efficient and eco-friendly tool for sustainable management of plant diseases under changing climate scenario

IPCC projected mlmmum 1.8°C increase in temperature by 2100 above 1990 level and confirms that the global average temperature increased by 0.74°C over the last century, is about poses a potential threat to agricultural production and productivity and affects the crop yields due to incidence of plant diseases and weeds, pests as well. There 1s a 5 per cent decrease in rice yield for every°C rise in temperature above 32°C. The costs of agricultural production may be going sky-high. The sustainable option for preventing or minimizing the outbreak of disease is with the proficient use of Good Agronomic Practices (GAP). GAP is an efficient and excellent tool for effective disease pest management in general and especially for soilborne pathogens, under change climate scenario. By adopting GAP which is admirable alternatives to pesticides for the plant pathogen management, one should contribute significantly to ecological balance and playing great role in the minimizing soil pollution particularly. The GAP can be used alone or as a component of pest manageIilent programs. GAP for pest management can be used before, at or after planting. The uasie principles of GAP for pest management are any potential management method may be considered, providing that it is environmentally, technologically and economically feasible, pesticide usages is minimized by combining with other non-chemical or chemical methods. GAPs include crop rotation, fallow, flooding, deep ploughing, soil solarization-which involves a combination of physical and biological process, adjusting planting dates, irrigation, fertilization, sanitation tillage etc. Diseases those are difficult to manage or that involve problematic pesticides should be prioritized. Economic aspects are taken into consideration.