Track 2-2-1: Plant Diseases, Insect Pests and Weed Management
Description
Hybrid napier, a cross between pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and napier grass (Pennisetum purpuriam) is a popular cultivated fodder grass in India. It is popular due to high yield, palatability and adaptability to varying soil and climatic conditions. It is relatively free from most of the pests and diseases and the question of plant protection normally does not arise. However, sporadic incidence of blast like symptoms has been observed in hybrid napier maintained in the college farm and the disease has been confirmed as blast caused by Pyricularia grisea Sacc. The disease causes severe leaf blight in some cultivars leading to leaf senescence. Leaf blast reduced photosynthetic rate of the remaining green parts of infected leaves (Bastiaans, 1991). Bastiaans and Kropff (1993) reported reduction in canopy photosynthesis because of the effect of blast lesions and shading by dead leaf area. Severe leaf blight caused by the pathogen induces production of phytotoxins and disruption of normal biochemical and physiological balance (Young-Ki et al., 2010).
Included in
Occurrence of Blast Disease in Hybrid Napier
Hybrid napier, a cross between pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and napier grass (Pennisetum purpuriam) is a popular cultivated fodder grass in India. It is popular due to high yield, palatability and adaptability to varying soil and climatic conditions. It is relatively free from most of the pests and diseases and the question of plant protection normally does not arise. However, sporadic incidence of blast like symptoms has been observed in hybrid napier maintained in the college farm and the disease has been confirmed as blast caused by Pyricularia grisea Sacc. The disease causes severe leaf blight in some cultivars leading to leaf senescence. Leaf blast reduced photosynthetic rate of the remaining green parts of infected leaves (Bastiaans, 1991). Bastiaans and Kropff (1993) reported reduction in canopy photosynthesis because of the effect of blast lesions and shading by dead leaf area. Severe leaf blight caused by the pathogen induces production of phytotoxins and disruption of normal biochemical and physiological balance (Young-Ki et al., 2010).
