LATE BLIGHT SCENARIO IN WESTERN UTTAR PRADESH AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PHYTOPHTHORA INFESTANS POPULATION USING BIOLOGICAL MARKERS

Abstract

A survey was taken up during crop seasons of 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 in Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Ghaziabad districts of western U.P for assessing late blight severity. In general, late blight severity was high during 2004-2005 in most of the localities and ranged from 4.3-81%. During 2003-2004, disease severity ranged from 2.5 to 68.8%. Ghaziabad and Baghpat districts were worst affected. A1 mating type (old strain) was dominant in all the four districts. Most of the isolates collected from the four districts were metalaxyl sensitive. Race complexity of 7 and 8 genes were detected from Meerut while race complexicity of 5, 8, 9; 7, 8; and 5, 7, 9 genes were recorded from Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Ghaziabad districts, respectively.