Organic control of Collar rot and other Root related Rot diseases in transplanted crops
Vegetable crops are raised to saplings in nurseries and then transplanted to the main field.
The crops like tomato, chilli, capsicums, brinjal, Cole crops, Cucumbers, Papaya and other crops with smaller seeds’ size are raised initially in nurseries and after certain growth are shifted to main field to grow.
Rot diseases affects the production and quality of the crops and usually the soil borne diseases caused by a pathogens like Aspergillus spp., Thievaliopsis spp., Ceratocystidaceae spp., Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium spp. and Pythium spp.,.
Symptoms
This rot disease occurs in different forms like collar rot, stem-rot, and root-rot killing the young seedlings after transplanting to main field. If crops are not maintained properly about 55 to 70 percent crop loss is expected.
- Collar rot shows the initial symptoms of softening of collar or crown region. The pathogens present in the soil colonizes at the soil line and makes the collar or crown region soft and finally nutrients are absorbed by pathogens and plant will droop and finally die with damping off disease.
- Blackening symptoms that progresses from roots to stem affecting the vascular system, followed by shredding at root-stem internodes and resulting in complete wilting and plant death.
Management of Rot diseases on plants
Even though chemical pesticides have played an important role in management of these rot diseases, the indiscriminate use of chemical disease control agents for the control of diseases and pests has led to various ecological problems like killing of natural enemies, poisonous food for other animals and humans, development of resistance in pests to pesticides.
These rot diseases may also be controlled safely and organically.
Biological agents are the options to use as bio pesticides in the place of chemical pesticides to control the diseases and pests in organic crop farming.
Smearing for higher plants like grown up vegetable crops, Papaya, apple trees etc or drenching for smaller younger plants with the following organic disease control agents may help to control the collar and other root rot related diseases.
Biological Agents like Trichoderma species and Pseudomonas species of fungal and bacterial classes respectively are used as effective disease controlling biocontrol agents against soil-borne diseases and foliar diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungal pathogens in several plant crops.
Organic products [ Biological agents and Natural agents] available on BigHaat to control the Collar rot disease and other root related rot diseases in young plants
- Ecoderma or Nisarga or Treat - 20 -25 gm/ L or Borogold 2-3 gm/L or Crop Doctor -1 to 1.5 gm/L of water and drench about 50 to 250 mL per plant based on the size of the plants.
After 7 days
- Ecomonas or Spot 20-25 gm/L of water and drench about 50 to 250 mL per plant based on the size of the plants.
Notes:
- On the day of application irrigation may be stopped.
- Weed management is important to keep the rot diseases away and optimum irrigation need to be monitored.
Additional benefits of organic disease control agents
- Trichoderma fungi not only kills pathogenic fungi may also promote plant growth with the release of phytotonic organic acids.
- Trichoderma spp and Pseuodomonas spp improves the resistance in plants due to their colonizing nature on plant parts releasing some important organic bioactive nutrients into the plant system.
- Plant and these bioagents relationship makes plant to absorb required nutrients from soil and supports plants to effectively use the nutrients in the plant system.
K SANJEEVA REDDY,
Senior Agronomist, BigHaat.
Disclaimer: The performance of the product (s) is subject to usage as per manufacturer guidelines. Read enclosed leaflet of the product(s) carefully before use. The use of this product(s)/ information is at the discretion of user.
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