Chemical and Biological Management of Wilt Disease of Safflower

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of different bio-agents and chemicals against wilt disease of safflower .The field experiment was conducted in a Randomised Block Design at Agricultural Research Station, Annigeri during rabi 2021 and 2022, using crop variety, Annigeri-1 in a plot size of 2.25m × 4m and 12 treatments in 3 replications of fungicides and biocontrol agents in an integrated approach and observations such as per cent seedling emergence, wilt incidence at 30, 60 and 90 days after sowing and seed yield per plot were recorded.Among the fungicides examined under field conditions, the combi-product Carboxin 37.5% + thiram 37.5% showed the least per cent disease incidence at 30 days after sowing (4.62%), 60 days after sowing (11.74%) and 90 days after sowing (15.16%), followed by Penflufen 13.28% w/w + trifloxystrobin 13.28% w/w FS (11.94%) with less per cent disease incidence at 30 days after sowing (5.83%), 60 days after sowing (11.96%) and 90 days after sowing (15.72%) over untreated control, which has shown the highest per cent disease incidence at 30 days after sowing (27.00%), 60 days after sowing (37.60%) and 90 days after sowing (40.88%). Significantly, the least mean per cent disease incidence (10.67%) was observed in case of combi-product Carboxin 37.5% + thiram 37.5% which was on par with Penflufen 13.28% w/w + trifloxystrobin 13.28% w/w FS (11.14%) and found to be superior over Thiophanate methyl 45% + pyraclostrobin 5% FS (12.48%) and Carbendazim 25% + mancozeb 50% (14.11%) over untreated control (35.16%). Among the biocontrol agents, the least per cent disease incidence was recorded in case of Trichoderma harzianumat 30 days after sowing (8.63%), 60 days after sowing (14.48%) and 90 days after sowing (19.18%) and the least mean per cent disease incidence (14.10%) followed by Neofusicoccum parvum (15.92%) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (18.595%). The highest mean per cent disease incidence (20.76%) was noticed in case of Bacillus subtilis as compared to untreated control (35.16%).