Sheela Paul, TPriya, KKAU2017-08-142017-08-142005http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810028630A study on “Major diseases of Kacholam [Kaempferia galanga L.] and their management” was conducted at College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara during 2003-2004. The study revealed that Ralstonia solanacearum (Smith) Yabuuchi et al., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) Sacc, Colletotrichum capsici (Syd.) Butler and Bisby were major pathogens in Kacholam. Ralstonia solanacearum was the major pathogen causing wilt in Kacholam. Among the 12 genotypes of kacholam tested two genotypes were immune to wilt and nine were highly resistant to leaf spot disease. From the in vitro evaluation done to find out the efficacy of different antagonists, all the three antagonists P. fluorescens, T. viride and A. niger were found to be effective against both the pathogens. Among the fungicides tested, Bordeaux mixture was most effective against both the fungal pathogens. Against the bacterial pathogen Kocide followed by Bordeaux mixture was effective. None of the fungicides were fully compatible with the antagonists. But Kocide was more compatible with A. niger and P. fluorescens and Fytolan with T. viride. Studies on the effect of culture filtrates showed its effectivness only against bacterial pathogen. The inhibitory effect of volatiles of fungal antagonists or fungal pathogens was also revealed. In the field experiment, Trichoderma viride was found to be the efficient antagonist. Among soil amendments, coirpith was found to be best for increasing germination, leaf number, rhizome yield and oil recovery. Farmyard manure treated plots was on par with that of coirpith treated plots with T. viride for giving maximum yield, and disease control. The study on the effect of soil microbial population revealed that the population does have an influence on yield and also on disease management. The correlation studies also showed that population of bacterial wilt pathogen is directly correlated with percentage wilt incidence.ennullThesis