International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences

ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 10 (2013) pp. 7-15

Studies on status of Late Blight Disease (Phytophthora infestans (Mont) de Bary) of Potato in Kashmir Valley

S.H. Peerzada, A. G. Najar, Mushtaq Ahmad, G. H. Dar and K. A. Bhat*

Division of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Kashmir, University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, J & K - 191121, India *Corresponding author

ABSTRACT

Late blight, (Phytophthora infestans), the most devastating disease of potato, was found prevalent in all the potato growing areas of Kashmir valley with incidence 6.66 to 59.99% and 11.11 to 62.22 % in 2007 and 2008. During 2007 and 2008 prevalence of potato late blight in all the surveyed districts with the terminal blight incidence ranging between 39.25 to 49.62 per cent, and 36.29 to 43.45 per cent respectively with district Srinagar recording the maximum and district Budgam the minimum incidence. Similarly disease intensity ranging from 2.57 to 45.52 and 3.50 to 48.35 per cent during the year 2007 and 2008 was recorded. The terminal late blight intensity among districts oscillated in the range of 23.52 to 37.98 per cent, with Srinagar recording the maximum and Anantnag the lowest terminal blight intensity. Both the late blight incidence and intensity increased with advancement in crop growth stage from flowering to dehaulming in both the surveyed years.

Keywords

Late blight; (Phytophthora infestans; blight incidence; intensity