Research Article
N.G. Ravichandra
Abstract
The root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and fungus (Fusarium solani) independently could damage and cause considerable loss crossandra. However, the effect on plant growth and wilt incidence is more when both pathogens were present together. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of various chemicals on this devastating disease complex in crossandra. Carbendazim (0.1%) and carbofuran 3G (0.3 a.i./m2) were found superior in increasing growth and yield of crossandra which also increased shoot length, shoot weight, root length and root weight. Carbofuran greatly reduced the root-knot index (2.00) compared to other treatments, which accounted for 57.08% reduction over control and on par with new nematicides, phosphonothioate (2.33) and cartaphydrochloride (2.66), which accounted for 50.00 and 42.91% reduction respectively. Least wilt incidence (13.33%) was also recorded with carbofuran which accounted for 69.23% reduction followed by phosphonothioate (15.00%) and cartaphydrochloride (18.33%) that were on par in reducing wilt and accounted for 65.38 and 57.69% reduction respectively.