MANAGEMENT OF FOOT AND ROOT ROT DISEASE OF BETEL VINE CAUSED BY Sclerotium rolfsii

Abstract

Betel vine Piper betle L. is largely grown as an important cash crop throughout the tropical and subtropical regions in Bangladesh. Disease damage to the crop is one of several known limiting factors. Foot and root rot of betel vine caused by Sclerotium rolfsii is the most overwhelming disease which decreases the production of betel leaf to a great extent. Management of foot and root rot disease of betel vine caused by Sclerotium rolfsii was studied during cropping season 2012-2013. The experiment was conducted in the Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Sher-e- Bangla Nagar, Dhaka. The field experiments were conducted in the field of Malonchi upazila in Pabna district under natural condition. The experiments were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3(three) replications. Initially 6 fungicides, 5 plant extracts and 2 bioagents were evaluated for their efficacy against Sclerotium rolfsii by an in vitro

test.

In in vitro experiment (cup method) Bavistin proved to be the best in controlling the radial mycelum growth of Sclerotium rolfsii. Among them 3 fungicides, 2 plant extracts and 1 bio-agent were found promising and selected for field evaluation against foot and root rot disease of betel vine. Treatment of betel vine stem followed by spraying with 7 treatments comprising Bavistin, Topgan, Tilt 250 EC, Garlic clove extracts, Neem leaf extracts, Trichoderma harzianum based BAU-biofungicides and control were explored in the experiment. A remarkable reduction of the severity of foot and root rot was achieved by treating with fungicides. The lowest severity was found in the Bavistin (0.71%) followed by Topgan (0.94%) whereas the highest disease severity was recorded under the untreated control treatment (2.87%). The highest yield was found in case of Bavistin which was 68.46% increased over untreated control followed by Topgan (49.05%). Stem treated with Bavistin by spraying at 7 days interval after inoculation minimized disease incidence, severity and increased yield followed by Topgan. Garlic clove extract and Trichoderma harzianum showed better performance in controlling foot and root rot disease of betel vine compared to control. Among the ecofriendly approach T. harzianum based BAU-Biofungicide increased 30.15% yield over control iii