In vitro Evaluation of Fungicides against Anthracnose of Betelvine (Piper betle L.)

Background: Betelvine is important commercial crop and the most profitable among all cultivated crops, which plays a vital role in the overall livelihood security of farm families. Diseases are the major yield constraints of crop plants. One of the most serious fungal diseases of dragon fruit is anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species. Since less information available on anthracnose of betel vine, this study was undertaken.

Methods: The efficacy of non-systemic, systemic and combination fungicides were tested against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides using poisoned food technique (Vincent 1947) under in vitro condition. Six non-systemic fungicides Chlorothalonil 75% WP, Captan 50% WP, Mancozeb 75% WP, Copper oxychloride 50% WP, Propineb 70% WP and Copper hydroxide 53.8% at (250 ppm, 500 ppm and 1000 ppm), six systemic fungicides Hexaconazole 5% EC, Propiconazole 25 % EC, Azoxystrobin 25% SC, Tebuconazole 25.9% EC, Difenaconazole 25% EC and Picoxystrobin 22.5% SC at (100ppm, 150ppm, 250ppm) and six combi fungicides Propiconazole 13.9% + Difenoconazole 13.9% EC, Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25% WG, Fluropyram 200 g/L + Tebuconazole 200 g/L SC, Fluxopyroxad 250 g/l + pyraclostrobin 250g/L, Fluopyram 250 g/L + Trifloxystrobin 250 g/L SC, Azoxystrobin 16.7% + Tricyclazole 33.3% SC at (150 ppm, 250 ppm, 500 ppm) were evaluated.

Results: Among six non-systemic fungicides evaluated against C. gloeosporioides which was obtained from the isolated sample and results revealed that the Copper hydroxide gave 69.90 % inhibition which was superior over all other fungicides evaluated and least inhibition was recorded with Mancozeb 40.30%. Difenconazole, Tebuconazole were the best systemic fungicides found best with inhibition % of 98.28 and 95.17 when evaluated against C. gloeosporioides. Out of the six evaluated combination products, propiconazole + difenconazole exhibited the highest inhibition rate at 99.78 %. Following closely, Fluopyram 200 g/L + Tebuconazole 200 g/L SC and Tebuconazole 50% EC + Trifloxystrobin 25% WG displayed inhibition rates of 89.47% and 87.50 % respectively.