Management of wheat spot blotch, Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) using novel fungicides and bioagents

Abstract

The spot blotch disease caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem is one of the most important foliar diseases of wheat and barley all over world; it appears in almost all wheat growing areas and causes severe yield loss every year. For the management of spot blotch of wheat a field experiment was conducted
in Rabi season 2018-19 using eleven treatment including one bioagent and five fungicides and combination including control (Untreated). It was found that Minimum plant disease intensity was recorded under treatment T10 (Seed treatment with vitavax 75 WP @ 2.5 gm/kg seed + 2 foliar sprays of tebuconazole 50%,+ trifloxystrobin 25 % @ 0.4% per lit first at boot leaf stage, second after 20 days) with minimum PDI (19.31), followed by T8, T6, T4, T7, T9,T3, T5, T2 and T1 which gave (21.71), (22.38), (27.75), (28.78), (29.22), (32.25), (34.63), (42.25) and (45.12) respectively. Hence, maximum plant disease intensity (76.22) was recorded under T11 untreated (control). Evaluation of the treatments, T10 resulted in minimum PDI (19.31), with maximum plant height, maximum number of tillers (10.22), maximum number of productive tillers (9.62), maximum thousand seed weight (41.22g), maximum grain/panicle (49.66), maximum seed yield (37.15q/ha), % increased grain yield by 16.75 per cent, avoidable losses (14.34) in comparison of Control (T11). The Maximum benefit-cost ratio (3.7) was recorded under T2.