Girija, V KSreeja, S JKAU2017-07-312017-07-312014http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810026805The study entitled “Integrated management of Fusarium wilt and anthracnose of vegetable cowpea (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdcourt) using new generation fungicides” was carried out in the Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2011 - 2014 with an objective to test the efficacy of new generation fungicides for the management of Fusarium wilt and anthracnose of vegetable cowpea and to develop an integrated management strategy using effective fungicides compatible with ecofriendly tactics. Isolation, characterization and identification of the pathogens revealed that, Fusarium oxysporum, F. equiseti and F. solani were associated with wilt of cowpea while, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was associated with anthracnose. In vitro evaluation of new generation fungicides indicated that tebuconazole (0.1 %), carboxin + thiram (0.4 %), and mancozeb (0.25 %) completely inhibited the mycelial growth of F. oxysporum and C. gloeosporioides. Pot culture experiments conducted to evaluate the efficacy of new generation fungicides for the management of Fusarium wilt and anthracnose revealed that soil drenching of flusilazole (0.1 %), tebuconazole (0.1 %) or carbendazim (0.1 %) totally suppressed the incidence of wilt while, the foliar application of flusilazole (0.1 %) recorded the lowest index (5.60) of anthracnose which was on par with the treatment with tebuconazole (0.1 %). A field experiment conducted to develop an integrated disease management package Fusarium wilt and anthracnose of cowpea indicated that soil solarization, application of Trichoderma enriched neem cake organic manure mixture and soil drenching of either tebuconazole (0.1 %) or carbendazim (0.1 %) recorded the lowest (0.00) disease index of Fusarium wilt whereas, three rounds of foliar application of either flusilazole (0.1 %) or tebuconazole (0.1 %) recorded the lowest (0.93) anthracnose index. The studies on persistence and degradation of fungicide residues indicated that tebuconazole (0.1 %) was having the shortest waiting period (0 days) indicating its safety to the vegetable. Considering the overall efficacy of fungicides against two diseases, associated yield increase, safety to the crop as well as economic benefits the following integrated management package was developed for the control of Fusarium wilt and anthracnose of cowpea in disease prone areas as: 1) Seed treatment with carbendazim (2 g/kg seed) 2) Soil solarization for a period of 45 days using transparent polythene sheets during warm season 3) Application of Trichoderma enriched neem cake organic manure mixture @ 1 kg/pit 15 days after seed emergence 4) Application of tebuconazole (0.1 %) at 30, 45 and 60 days after seed emergence. In order to counter the possibility of resistance build up due to repeated use of the triazole fungicide, the contact fungicide copper oxychloride (0.2 %) may be used in rotation.ennullThesis