In vitro Potency of Chemical Fungicides over Alternaria lini (Dey) Growth Inhibition Causing Black Bud Disease of Linseed

Linseed, the only economically significant species of family Linaceae is a dense plant with sound branches that gives rise to more production of seed per plant. It is a significant oilseed and fibre crop that grows in diverse range of climate from temperate to tropical regions of India. So, it is crucial to preserve the excellence and yield of such an oilseed crop due to its commercial significance. Linseed cultivation is impacted by a variety of fungal and bacterial diseases. Alternaria blight or often called as Black Bud Disease is one of the most important fungal diseases of this oilseed crop which causes yield loss ranging from 28-60%. The present study emphasized upon two objectives. First one is the survey of different cultivars that was conducted in various parts of Uttar Pradesh during the month of March-April, 2021-22 to assess the disease prevalence and severity of Black Bud Disease which revealed that cultivar Neelum had the highest disease intensity of 45%, while the variety Rashmi had the lowest disease intensity of 10%. Second one involves the study regarding in vitro potency of chemical fungicides that revealed the potency of three fungicides i.e. Tilt, Vitavax and Matco over 11 fungicides examined at 0.2 % concentration in fully inhibiting the growth of corresponding fungal pathogen, Alternaria lini. Rovral, Thiram, Folpet, Captan, Ridomil, Companion, Mancozeb, Zineb, Sulfex, Topsin-M, and Bavistin were the remaining fungicides in order of their inhibitory activity against the pathogen.