Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is one of the most commonly used spice crops. Foot rot caused by Phytopthora capsici is a major bottleneck in black pepper production, resulting in significant crop losses in pepper-growing areas. To address this issue, a field study was conducted to test the efficacy of potential fungicides, bioagents, and botanicals in combination at two locations during 2017-18. It was found that soil application of Trichoderma harzianum @ 50 g/vine + neem cake @ 1 kg/vine before the onset of monsoon followed by drench and spray with fenamidone + mancozeb @ 2g/lit thrice at monthly intervals had the least leaf infection (7.52%), foliar yellowing (5.38%), defoliation (2.17%), and resulted in the highest dry pepper yield 4.70 kg/vine, with a higher benefit-cost ratio. These findings suggest that the use of a combination of bioagents, fungicides, and botanicals can effectively manage Phytophthora foot rot in black pepper cultivation, leading to increased yield and higher profitability for farmers.