Plant Disease Research

Role of weather parameters viz. relative humidity, temperature and rainfall was ascertained on the development of pea rust (Uromyces viciae fabae) and the influence of disease on loss in yield was measured. The first visible symptoms of pea rust appeared after 60 days of sowing. A daily maximum and minimum temperatures ranging between 21.8–24.4°C and 10.3–14.1°C, respectively with a mean relative humidity of more than 70 per cent were found to be very favourable for the development of disease. Highly significant +ve correlation was observed between the disease severity and the maximum and minimum temperatures. The average loss in seed yield due to disease was estimated to be 52.6 per cent. There was a significant -ve correlation between disease severity and seed yield.