Fungal foliar diseases of pulses and their management

Abstract

Pulses plays a major role in the nutritional security of people having a cereal-based diet. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recognizes different types of pulses in India, viz. chickpea, lentil, faba bean, field pea, cowpeas, black gram, black-eyed bean, pigeonpea and red kidney beans. Besides their value as diet and having nitrogen fixation ability, pulses also play an important role in flourishing intensive agriculture by improving the physicochemical and biological properties of soil. Pulses are attacked by so many foliar fungal diseases which include Ascochyta blight, anthracnose, leaf rot, powdery mildew, leaf yellowing, stem canker and downy mildew.