Modern Approaches for Management of Sesame Diseases

Sesame crop is threatened by several diseases causing huge yield loss. Fungal diseases like Alternaria leaf blights, Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), Phytophthora blight, Powdery Mildew, Macrophomina root and stem rot and Bacterial disease like Bacterial leaf spot and blight are important out of them. Apart from these, the crop is also affected by phyllody, a phytoplasmal disease. Intensity of different diseases depends on various factors like climatic conditions, pathogen inoculums, stage of crop, etc. Spraying of Wettable sulfur @ 0.2% during winter from October to 1st week of February is most effective in managing powdery mildew disease. For bacterial diseases, Streptocycline (250 ppm) is used as seed treatment as well as spray application. For reducing fungal diseases such as Alternaria blight and CLS disease, seed should be treated with Thiram (0.3%) or Carbendazim 50WP (0.1%) followed by two foliar sprayings of Mancozeb + Carbindazim @0.2%. The vector population can be brought down by seed treatment with Imidacloprid followed by foliar spray with Thiomethaxam, for managing phyllody incidence. Macrophomina root and stem rot, a very destructive disease of sesame can be managed effectively by application of biological 124control agent, Trichoderma viride as seed treatment @10 g/kg seed and as soil application @ 2.5 kg/ha.