Fruit rot (Mahali or Kole roga) along with bud rot and crown rot disease have re-emerged in some areca plantations in Dakshina Kannada.
At present, diseases have been reported from Kadaba and Moodbidri taluks.
A three-member team of scientists from Vitla Regional Station of Central Plantation Crop Research Institute (CPCRI) on Tuesday visited one of the affected plantations at Idala in Parabe village of Kadaba taluk and asked the planter Suresh to recommend disease control measures. studied for. .
According to CPCRI, three diseases are caused by? phytophthora Fungus. It attacks adult areca nut during south-west monsoon causing fruit rot (Mahali or Kole roga). The fungus also attacks the growing bud and crown resulting in bud and crown rot, respectively.
“The latter two diseases (bud and crown rots) are fatal if they are not taken care of and treated in time,” said Scientist Bhavishya, one of the team members. Hindu.
In case of fruit rot (Mahi or Kole disease), only the crop is destroyed. Whereas in case of severe bud and crown rot the palm itself is lost. Therefore, farmers should pay attention to early symptoms, when leaves and outermost leaf cover turn yellow, watch the latter two diseases carefully and report them to agricultural scientists and adopt the suggested disease control measures, he said. .
The scientist recalled that a betel nut grower in Bantwal taluk had lost about 70% of the palm in his plantation about four years ago, because he either failed to notice the symptoms early or ignored them until the infection became severe. Was.
Mr Bhavishya said that about two weeks ago two more farmers from Moodbidri area approached the CPCRI seeking disease control measures.
He said that in case of tree plantation in Parabe village, symptoms of diseases were seen in 2018 but the concerned farmer did not take any disease control measures. Now, it has completely re-emerged. The farmer told the team that the diseases were detected only this July.
The scientist said that in many gardens the fungus can remain in a dormant state. It becomes active when the weather and environment are favorable.
Other team members who visited Parabe included scientists Nagraj NR and Thava Prakash Pandian.
Puttur Mahesh Puchchappadi, general secretary of the All India Areca Growers Association, who accompanied the team, said that there is every possibility of many farmers not reporting the symptoms of bud and crown rot to agricultural scientists or the horticulture department. They should report the symptoms to prevent the spread of diseases in a vast track of plantation in this area.