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Fusarium wilt is a severe disease that plays a significant role in reducing the yield of lentil. Under favorable conditions for disease growth, the disease can cause complete crop failure and can be a crucial limiting issue for lentil cultivation in specific geographical zones. The current work focused on isolating potentialbio-agents exhibiting copper oxychloride resistance and evaluating their efficacy in seed treatment for ecologically sustainable management of Fusarium wilt of lentil. Seventy biocontrol agent isolates were isolated and tested for resistance by growing them on Potato Dextrose Agar medium (PDA) amended with copper oxychloride at the rate of 2500 ppm. Isolate-H10 and isolate-C9 showed more excellent compatibility with copper oxychloride fungicide with 69 mm and 65 mm radial growths, respectively. The isolates H10 and C9 had the highest inhibitory percentages of 84.30% and 83.94% against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lentis, respectively, and the highest phosphorus solubilization index (PSI). Primers (ITS 1 and ITS 4) identified these putative bioagents as Trichoderma harzianum isolate skua-tab-1 and Penicillium crysogenum strain Tab2. Sequences were submitted to the NCBI and assigned the accession numbers MK414603 and MK418066. In pot culture, these isolates also demonstrated their superiority in reducing the disease incidence and severity if seeds were treated with H10 and C9 alone or in combination with copper oxychloride fungicide. The two isolated bioagents exhibit three fundamental properties: compatibility with copper oxychloride, antagonistic activity toward the pathogen fall armyworm, and the ability to dissolve phosphorus minerals.

The study on Role of agrometeorological factors in regulating the abundance of Brinjal shoot and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) in Kupwara revealed that at all the locations of District Kupwara, first adult male moth of Leucinodes orbonalis was trapped during 24 SW. Moth population increased and peaked during 34 SW (4.0 moths/trap), thereafter population declined and reached to zero level during last week of September. Correlation studies between abiotic factors and adult moth catch of Leucinodes orbonalis from three locations of  District Kupwara viz Langate, Chowgal and Handwara had positive and significant correlation with minimum temperature (0.469,0.461 and 0.462) but positive and non-significant with maximum temperature (0.406,0.401 and 0.410), rainfall (0.032,0.058 and 0.035), relative humidity evening(0.434,0.418 and 0.421), though negative and non-significant with relative humidity morning (-0.149,-0.123 and -0.166) respectively. Multiple regression analysis revealed minimum temperature as major contributor in population buildup of the pest followed by relative humidity (evening) while as relative humidity (morning) had least effect in population buildup of the pest.

BackgroundShot hole caused by Wilsonomyces carpophilus is one of the major fungal diseases of stone fruits. The population structure of this fungus has not been studied in detail. The objective of this work was to study the population differentiation of W.carpophilus associated with peach, plum, apricot and almond in three geographical regions using inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers and DNA sequence of internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) region from fungal isolates. ResultsThe geographical as well as host populations were homogenous with highest genetic diversity within the populations than among populations. Furthermore, the W.carpophilus population on plum host revealed minimal but considerable genetic difference from peach, apricot, and almond populations, suggesting that this pathogen may have speciated on plum host. ConclusionGene flow is the main evolutionary process shaping the genetic structure of W.carpophilus in Kashmir. In addition, W.carpophilus population on plum host showed low but significant genetic differentiation with peach, apricot and almond population implicating the possibility of speciation of this pathogen on plum host.

Background: Soybean leaf blight has been viewed as a possible biotic stress responsible for decreasing yield potential of soybean in Kashmir over the years. Therefore, its etiology and recording associated yield loss were deemed necessary corresponding to baseline findings for deciding any chemical or non-chemical intervention in disease management. Methods: Field and laboratory investigations were undertaken during crop periods of 2019 and 2020. Disease specimens were collected from various locations across valley and the pathogen was isolated on Potato Dextrose Agar medium. To identify the host range of soybean isolate, nine pulse crops were tested under controlled conditions (Tem. 22±3°C and RH greater than 80%). The relative yield loss and critical stage of chemical intervention were assessed by exposing soybean populations to disease at different phenological stages which created five different levels of disease in a field experiment laid in RBD with four replications. Result: Phoma sojicola (syn. Ascochyta sojicola) was associated pathogen of this disease of soybean in Kashmir. Typical disease symptoms on leaves comprised of roughly circular and brown lesions (up to 20 mm diameter) with concentric rings having interspersed pycnidia. Most often the diseased tissue fall apart and gives it a shot hole expression. Radial daily mycelial growth of the pathogen was 3.62 mm colony was grey olivaceous in the centre and light olivaceous towards periphery. Conidia were hyaline, oblong to ellipsoidal and 1-2 celled with average dimensions of 7.98 x 2.87 µ. Chlamydospores were brown olivaceous, globose to sub-globose with average dimensions of 16.89 x 9.30 µ. After artificial inoculation, Phaseolus vulgaris, Vigna sinensis, V. radiata, V. mungo, Cicer arietinum, Vicia faba and Cajanus cajan manifested disease symptoms after variable incubation periods of 8-13 days, while as Lens esculenta and Pisum sativum resisted the invasion. Early appearance of the Phoma blight (V-1 stage) in soybean can reach a terminal intensity of 67.16 per cent besides causing 51.72 per cent yield loss. Tolerable yield loss (5.63%) was achieved only when the crop was maintained disease free up to R-3 (beginning pod development) stage.