Author(s):

Anuj Mamgain, Mohan Kumar Biswas and Narottam Dey

Abstract: Alternaria blight caused by Alternaria brassica (Berk.) Sacc. has been reported to be most wide spread and destructive fungal disease of mustard throughout the world. It has a drastic effect on various yield components of mustard which is reflected in reduction of yield up to the tune of fifty percent. An indiscriminate use of fungicides not only pollutes the environment but has an adverse residual effect on soil health and fertility. Keeping this in mind, a study was conducted for the evaluation of various chemical elicitors for induced systemic resistance against Alternaria blight of mustard which were supposed to elicit various proteins, secondary metabolites and enzymes involved in providing resistance against the disease. Among the studied chemical elicitors, Salicylic acid was found to be the best chemical elicitor followed by Chitosan, b-aminobutyric acid (BABA) and 2, 6-dichloro-isonicotinic acid (INA) which was reflected by a decrease in PDI of Alternaria blight and correspondingly increase in yield w.r.t. various yield attributing factors. Combined application of Salicylic acid and Chitosan was found to be least effective in controlling the disease which might be due to antagonistic effects of the two studied chemical elicitors. These chemicals in turn were not found to have an adverse effect on plant and soil health. The present study not only validated the role of the studied chemical elicitors in combating the disease but also provided a scope of using these potential chemicals which would trigger production of chemicals for resistance against Alternaria blight without an adverse effect on plant and soil, thereby forming an important part of integrated disease management.

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