The seed borne myco-flora of cowpea cv. Phule Vithai was examined by blotter method, agar plate method, deep freezing, 2-4 D method and Test tube water agar seedling symptom test as recommended by ISTA. A total of four species of fungi viz. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium spp. and Fusarium moniliforme were reported. Amongst the methods used for detection of seed borne fungi, the standard blotter paper method is more effective followed by agar plate method, 2, 4-D method, deep freeze blotter paper method and test tube water agar seedling symptom test.

Background: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is the fourth most important oil seed crop in the world. The early and late spots are a foliage disease more common and more destructive of groundnut which cause severe yield losses up to 70% and reduces the quality of the pod and fodder. Recent efforts have targeted on developing resistant source against leaf spot disease which are helpful for discarding the hazardous toxic chemical compounds used for controlling the disease. The current study aimed to identify the sources of resistance to leaf spot from the newly identified genotypes as well as from wild species and to study the way in which these were responding to the to the disease development. Methods: Seventy three groundnut genotypes were screened against late leaf spot disease under artificial epiphytotic conditions in field at AICRP on Groundnut, MPKV, Rahuri during kharif 2015-16. The observations of disease intensity and rate of infection were recorded. Result: Among the Seventy three groundnut genotypes, 10 genotypes showed resistant and 33 genotypes showed the moderately resistant reaction to leaf spot disease. The 25 entries showed the susceptible and 05 genotypes showed the highly susceptible reaction to the leaf spot disease. All the susceptible cultivars belong to A. hypogaea sub. sp. fastigiata var. fastigiata to as Spanish bunch. These 10 resistant genotypes of groundnut including two wild species viz., RHRG 6083, KDG 128, GPBD 4, ICGV 94118, ICGV 4983, ICG 12672, ICGV 13160 (A. batizocoi), ICGV 13165 (A. cardenasi), ICG 11426 and ICGV8193 were selected for intensive artificial screening under glasshouse conditions and also confirmed resistance. The resistant lines will be useful to develop introgression lines using marker-assisted backcrossing approach to improve foliar fungal disease resistance in popular groundnut varieties.

Biotic and abiotic stresses are major constraints in the production of safflower. Among biotic stresses apart from bacterial and viral diseases, many fungal diseases are of economic importance. Leaf spots were the most important and destructive disease of safflower. Leaf spots caused by Alternaria carthami Choudhury and Alternaria alternata are a serious threat to successful cultivation of safflower. For the management of leaf spot causing seed borne pathogens an experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of antagonistic organism against seed borne leaf spot causing pathogens of safflower. The bioagents i.e. Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma hamatum, Trichoderma koningii, Pseudomanas fluorescens and Bacillus subtillius each @ 0.6 per cent were evaluated in vitro were found antifungal to A, carthami and A. alternata. However, Trichoderma harzianum was found most effective and recorded significantly highest mycelial growth inhibition of Alternaria carthami and Alternaria alternata of about 81.48 % and 83.70 % respectively over untreated control. The second and third best bioagents/antagonists found were Trichoderma viride and Trichoderma hamatum which recorded mycelial growth inhibition of Alternaria carthami 77.04 %, 70.74 % and Alternaria alternata 79.26 %, 74.08 % respectively.

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