MANAGEMENT OF WILT DISEASES IN COCONUT THROUGH INTEGRATED DISEASE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

P.S. SHANMUGAM¹*, K. INDHUMATHI², M. SANGEETHA^3
1ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Papparapatty 636 809, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu
²ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Papparapatty 636 809, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu
³ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Papparapatty 636 809, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu
* Corresponding Author : psshanmugam@gmail.com

Received : 30-03-2018     Accepted : 05-04-2018     Published : 15-04-2018
Volume : 10     Issue : 7       Pages : 5652 - 5654
Int J Agr Sci 10.7 (2018):5652-5654

Keywords : Coconut, stem wilt, sunhemp, Pseudomonas fluorescens & Trichoderma viride
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : The authors are thankful to the ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 641003 for funding and providing necessary infrastructure to conduct the demonstration in the farmers’ fields.
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

Coconut is one the important cash crop gown by the farmers near the river beds and also using irrigation sources in Dharmapuri district. Though it has been grown for regular income, the productivity is very low compare to the other regions of the state. The unbalanced application of manures and fertilizers and improper pest and disease management are the major causes for the low yield. Among the diseases the Ganoderma wilt and stem wilt are the major disease and eriophiyd mite, redpalm weevil and rhinoceros beetles are the major pest’s results in lower yield. The incidence of wilt disease led to death of 20-30 years old trees. Hence to demonstrate the integrated pest and disease management strategies among the farmers twenty demonstrations were conducted at Palacode and Moarppur blocks of Dharmapuri district for a period of two years. The management practices viz., sowing of green manure crop sunhemp @ 50 Kg/ha, insitu ploughing of sunhemp on 40-45th day after sowing, Neem cake 5 Kg/tree along with Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 5Kg/ha and Trichoderma viride @ 5Kg/ha, use of pheromone traps @ 12raps/ha for the management of redpalm weevil were demonstrated among the farmers. The percentage incidence of ganoderma wilt, stem wilt, redpalm weevil and mites were recorded at fortnight intervals after the application of treatments in the demonstration and control plots. The observations were continued for two-year period. The results of the above demonstrations revealed reduced incidence of diseases and increased yield. The demonstration plots recorded 11160 nuts/ha yield whereas the control field recorded 9360 nuts/ha. The yield increase was 16.1% in the demonstrated field. The incidence of ganoderma wilt, stem wilt, redpalm weevil and mite incidence in the demonstration plots were 7.22%, 5.41%, 7.91% and 50.50% and in the control plots were 13.11%, 12.22%, 12.77% and 75.54% respectively. The cost benefit analysis of present study recorded BCR and net return of 1.29 and Rs.13,800 in the demonstration and 1.17 and Rs. 6800 in the control plot. The above results revealed that the integrated management practices in the demonstration plots reduce the incidence of pest and diseases considerably.

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