Author(s):

NK Sharma, LP Awasthi, SK Singh and Ajay Kumar

Abstract: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb) is a very common summer fruit crop in India. This crop is affected by a number of viral diseases like cucumber mosaic virus, watermelon mosaic virus, zuchini yellow mosaic virus, cucumber mosaic virus, papaya ring spot virus, watermelon chlorotic stunt virus and melon necrotic spot virus. The field experiment was conducted at Student Instructional Farm, Narendra Deva Univeristy of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad-224229 (U.P.) during 2007-08 and 2008-09. Four botanicals viz. Boerhaavia diffusa (root extract), Clerodendrum aculeatum and Azadirachta indica (leaf extract) and bark of Terminalia arjuna (bark extract) were evaluated against viral diseases of watermelon @ 10% concentration at fortnightly intervals. Results indicated that seed treatment fallowed by six foliar sprays with Boerhaavia diffusa (root extract) was the most effective treatment. Maximum vine length (3.93 m), fruit weight (3.62 kg/plant), number of fruit (4.60 fruit/plant), fruit diameter (21.16 cm), fruit yield (16.52 kg/plot) and diseases initiation (66.5 DAS) with minimum disease incidence (37.68%) was recorded in the same treatment during both years, respectively.

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