Fungal Diseases of Vegetable Crops

Fungal Diseases of Vegetable Crops:

Damping off (Rhizoctonia sp., Pythium sp.)

Affected Crops: 

Tomato, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Pepper, Eggplant etc.

Source of Infection: Soil borne.

Symptoms:

It is the most common disease of seedlings, especially in wet conditions where seedling are crowded. 

1. The fungus attack usually starts on the germinating seed, spreading to the hypocotyls, basal stem and developing in the taproot. 

2. The affected seedlings are pale and the brownish water-soaked lesion is seen at the basal portion of the stem. 

3. The lesion girdles the stem, later extending upward and downwards. 

4. The affected tissues rot and seedlings collapse.

5. In severe infestations, the entire lot of seedlings may be destroyed within 2 to 4 days.

Control Measures:

1. Treat the seed with fungicides like Provax or Vitavax or Thiram or Haymencozeb or Acrobat MZ.

2. Use Bordeaux mixture, Sulcox 50%WP (Copper oxychloride) Haymencozeb or Acrobat MZ (Mencozeb+Dimethomorph) in the seedbed when seedlings are raised with good coverage of sparing.

3. Prepare well-drained seedbed by giving a good cover and placing the soil on plastic or banana leaves.

4. Irrigate in the morning only when necessary.

5. Sow seeds thinly.