Scientists at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) have found that a new strain of late blight that has affected potato and tomato crops came to India through an infested potato variety imported from the Netherlands to Hassan.
P. Chowdappa, principal scientist of the IIHR’s Division of Plant Pathology, told The Hindu that it would have been possible to prevent the outbreak of the fungal disease as well as crop losses if the country had a good biosecurity system to screen the produces being imported for diseases.
He stressed the need for setting up plant quarantine facility at all international airports in the country to prevent the entry of disease-affected plant varieties.
Referring to the seriousness of this plant epidemic, he said late blight was also known as Irish potato famine fungus as it completely wiped out potato crop in Ireland in 1845. The threat intensified after a new strain of this fungus which is more harmful and resistant to several fungicides emerged in 2004 in Europe.
“Ever since this new strain of fungus struck Hassan in 2008, the total area under potato cultivation in this district has been reduced from 57,000 hectares to 17,000 hectares,” Dr. Chowdappa said.
In many States
The disease had spread in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, he said.
He warned that wheat and forest plants could also face serious problems from fungal diseases prevalent in other countries if there was no screening of imported varieties.
Costly exercise
“Protecting potato and tomato crops from the fungal disease has become a costly exercise as farmers spend about Rs. 20,000 an acre on expensive fungicides,” Dr. Chowdappa said.
The IIHR has now come out with a package of practices for weather-linked integrated management of late blight that aims at mitigating the impact of the disease effectively and economically. Under this, Bordeaux mixture, which can be prepared by farmers by mixing copper sulphate and limestone, is being proposed for spraying on plants. According to Dr. Chowdappa, this will cost only Rs. 2,100 an acre.
To create awareness among farmers on the economical methods of controlling late blight, the IIHR organised a field day on its campus earlier this week where the preparation of Bordeaux mixture and methods of spraying were demonstrated.
For more details, contact Dr. Chowdappa on 9916355932.
