Management of postharvest smudge infections in onion through fungicides

Mesta, R.K.; Kukanur, L.

Management of postharvest smudge infections in onion through fungicides

2013

Mesta, R.K. | Kukanur, L.

Onion is one of the important vegetable crops of India. In Karnataka state, onion farmers are facing severe postharvest losses due to infection of Colletotrichum circinans. The bulbs get infected in field and start rotting when carried to the storage units for drying. Since the infection is from field fungus which infects just prior to harvest and aggravate disease during storage, an experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Research Station Devihosur, Haveri, India, to minimize the losses in onion due to pre- and postharvest smudge by practicing fungicidal spray in the field before harvest. Seven different fungicides were tried to manage the disease. The results revealed that spraying of hexaconazole (0.1%), difenconazole (0.1%) and kresoxim methyl (0.1%) have given best control of the disease in field as well as in storage. Normally onions are given fungicidal sprays at 30 and 60 days after sowing. However, in the present study it was found that spraying fungicides at 40, 60 and 80 days after sowing were found effective. As onion is normally harvested after 90 days of sowing, spraying of fungicides especially at 80 days after sowing found to minimise infection carried to storage which intern recorded significantly least smudge in storage.

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