Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Horticultural Research Station/Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kandaghat-173 215
National Symposium on Strategic Issues in Plant Pathological Research held at Department of Plant Pathology, CSK HP Krishi Vishvavidayalaya, Palampur on November 24–25, 2011
Recently in Himachal Pradesh naturally ventilated polyhouses have been introduced and among the crops being grown under protected conditions, besides coloured capsicums, cherry tomato (Solanum lycopercum L.) is gaining importance. It is being transported to northern plains where it fetches remunerative prices. During the month of October, the crop was found infected with late bright at the experimental farm of KVK, Solan (Kandaghat). The severity of the disease ranged from 45–70% at different locations of the district. On leaves, the symptoms appeared as pale, green, irregular spots which in moist weather enlarged rapidly with central tissue turning necrotic and dark brown or black. On fruits, Olivaceous greasy spots appeared. The disease samples were collected from different fields and during microscopic examination, lemon shaped, papillate and hyaline sporangia (28–50 X 20–27 µm) were observed emerging through leaf stomata. On the basis of these characters, the associated pathogen was identified as Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary. This constitutes the first report of the occurrence of this disease on cherry tomato in India.
