Plant disease scenario in Punjab

Punjab is the major food growing state of India and contributes many folds in the production of food grains. Wheat is the major crop of the state during Rabi season. During Kharif, rice is the main crop followed by cotton. Of, vegetables, potato, known as king of vegetables, is grown on considerable area in some districts of Punjab. In the present investigation, disease scenario of the above four major crops is discussed. In rice, bacterial leaf blight, sheath rot, sheath blight and foot rot are important diseases. In cotton, cotton leaf curl disease, bacterial blight, fungal foliar leaf spots, wilt and root rots are significant diseases. In wheat, most prominent diseases are yellow rust, loose smut, head scab and powdery mildew. In Potato, late blight, common scab and black scurf cause serious damage. With the passage of time and change in cropping sequences, some minor diseases have become important whereas some of the diseases have amerged as threat to these crops. Therefore, on the basis of relative importance of different diseases, the management strategies can be developed to keep these diseases under check.