1Division of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar-190 025, Jammu and Kashmir (India)
2Division of Fruit Science, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar-190 025, Jammu and Kashmir (India)
3Division of Agri Statistics, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar-190 025, Jammu and Kashmir (India)
4Division of FMAP, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar-190 025, Jammu and Kashmir (India)
*E-mail: author-arifsayar21@gmail.com
Online published on 14 August, 2019.
Canker is the most destructive disease of apple trees and poses grave threat to the very existence of the apple industry in Kashmir. Forty eight isolates of Diplodia seriata causing Smokey canker of apple were obtained from cankered apple trees exhibiting characteristic symptoms, located at different geographical locations of Kashmir valley. Pathogenecity of all the isolates was established by proving Koch's postulates. The isolates varied significantly in their response towards different temperature and pH levels. Among different temperature levels, 25°C proved the best one and all the isolates showed optimum growth at this temperature. Most of the isolates exhibited least colony growth at 20oC. Similarly the pH level of 6 proved best for maximum radial ycelia growth of all the isolates which decreased gradually at pH 5.5 and 6.5.
Apple, Diplodia seriata, pH, smoky canker, temperature, variability
