Integrated management of leaf blight of sweet sorghum caused by Exserohilum turcicum (Pass.) Leonard and Suggs

Abstract

Sweet sorghum is an important fodder crop, besides which can be used for the multiple purposes like grain, jaggery making and ethanol production. Leaf blight caused by the Exserohilum turcicum is an important disease affecting the sorghum. Fourteen fungicides, five botanicals, seven bioagents and four ITKs evaluated against the leaf blight of sweet sorghum caused by E. turcicum. Among the non systemic fungicides, maximum percent mycelial inhibition was recorded in treatments involving the mancozeb and propineb at 0.25% (87.55%), among systemic fungicides tested, cent percent inhibition was noticed at all the three concentrations of propiconazole, hexaconazole and tebuconazole, among combiproduct fungicides, at all the three concentrations, highest inhibition of mycelial growth (100%) was noticed in carboxin 37.5% + thiram 37.5% and tebuconazole 50% + trifloxistrobin 25%, among commercially available botanicals highest inhibition of mycelial growth was noticed in multineemore (Azadiractin 0.15%) at 1% (68.75%). Consortium of three bioagents T. harzianum + P. fluorescens + B. subtilis at 3.3 g each/l has given the maximum inhibition (80.44%) spore germination among the bioagents. Among the ITKs panchagavya has given the maximum inhibition (30.60%) at 20% concentration. Among the nine spray schedule, spray schedule involving hexaconazole @ 0.1% − hexaconazole @ 0.1% − hexaconazole 0.1% recorded least percent disease index (28.00%) and least AUDPC (598.20) and highest fodder yield (40.36 t/ha), brix value (12.42%) and highest B:C ratio (1:1.46).