Prevalence of Corynespora leaf spot disease of cotton under South Gujarat of India
Nirva Patel1* , Prashant B. Sandipan2 , Nishi Saini3 , P. S. Patel2 , R. K. Patel4
1Department of Plant Pathology, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University (NAU), Navsari396 450 (Gujarat), India
2Main Cotton Research Station (MCRS), Navsari Agricultural University (NAU), Surat 395 007 (Gujarat), India
3Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT), Udaipur 313 001 (Rajasthan), India
4Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Navsari Agricultural University (NAU), Surat 395 007 (Gujarat), India
Corresponding Author Email: pnirvapatel13@gmail.com
DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8050114
Abstract
Cotton is one of the most important economic products of the group of fibers due to volume and value of production. Its cultivation is also of great social importance, due to the number of jobs generated directly or indirectly. Cotton is an important fiber-yielding crop of global importance, which is grown in tropical and subtropical regions of more than 80 countries of the world.In this experiment, prevalence and incidence were recorded in the cotton growing regions of Surat, Bharuch, and Narmada districts of South Gujarat in the year 2021 to examine the presence of the Corynesporacassiicolapathogen on cotton plants and to record the observations on Per cent Disease Incidence (PDI). The maximum percent disease intensitywas found in the Surat district, while the lowest disease intensity of C. cassiicola was found in the Bharuch district.
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Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the most important fiber crops playinga key role in the economic and social scenario of the globe. It is the oldest among all the commercial crops of the world, providing fiber for the clothing of mankind. It is also known as “The white gold” or “The king of fibers”. Cotton is a premier cash crop of our country and belongs to the family Malvaceae [1]. It is one of the most ancient and important commercial crops next only to food grains and is the principal raw material for flourishing the textile industry. It provides employment and sustenance to a population of nearly 42 million people, who are involved directly or indirectly in cotton production, processing, textiles and related activities [15].
Cotton is grown worldwide for its natural fiber and oil. The cotton seed contains 30 percent starch, 25 percent oil, and 16.20 percent protein. It is also being used in the manufacture of medicinal supplies, tarpaulin, cordage and belting. The cotton hulls serve as roughage for livestock and the fuzz (short seed hair) is used in the manufacture of papers, plastics, carpets, rayon, explosives and cotton wools etc.[18].
India is one of the major cotton growing countries in the world. India ranks first in area and second in the total production of cotton in the world. Hence, India has a large domestic textile industry. It is chiefly grown in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. India is the largest cotton-growing country in the world with an area of around 134.77 lakh hectares with production of 360.65 lakh bales and productivity of 455kg/ha [2]. In Gujarat, cotton is cultivated in an area of 26.55 lakh hectares and the production of86.17 lakh bales with a productivity 552kg/ha [2].
In India, the productivity of cotton is very low due to many constraints including diseases. Diseases are inherent compounds of the agroecosystem that must be deal with continuously and on a knowledge basis. Cotton is affected by various diseases caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses. The most common cotton diseases reported in India are Wilt (F. oxysporumf. sp.vasinfectum (G.F. Atk.) W.C. Snyder & H.N. Hansen), Root rot (Rhizoctonia bataticola (Taubenh.), Verticillium wilt (Verticillium dahlia Kleb.), Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gossypii Southworth. or C. capsici (Syd.) Butler &Bisby), Gray mildew (Ramularia areola G.F. Atk.), Blackarm (Xanthomonas campestrispv. malvacearum (Pammel) Dowson), Corynespora leaf blight (Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) C. T. Wei, Leaf blight (Alternaria macrosporaZimm) and Leaf curl (Cotton leaf curl virus), Boll rot [19] and Physiological disorders as Para wilt, Leaf reddening and sometimes Leaf elongation due to improper use of weedicides etc. Among them, Corynespora leaf spot of cotton is one of the important and serious diseases of cotton. Looking to the history target leaf spot caused by C.cassiicola was reported in Alabama for the first time in 1959 on upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), the most widely planted species of cotton in the world [13 and [17]. In 1995, target spot was reported on upland cotton in Brazil but under the name of Corynespora leaf spot [16]. The first occurrence and re-emergence of the disease on upland cotton appeared in China [25], Brazil [12], and several states in the United States including Georgia [11], Alabama [8] and [9], China [25], Brazil [12] and [10].Louisiana [20], Tennessee [7], Central India [21] and South India [6]. Target spot has been a concern for farmers and researchers due to its increasing occurrence especially on cotton [23] owing to the monoculture farming, adoption of conservation tillage systems, susceptibility of current cultivars, lack of crop rotation and optimal weather patterns for disease development [14] and [5].
The initial symptoms of target spots in cotton are characterized by small spots on the leaves located in the lower stratum of the plant [9]. The symptoms were observed in the lower canopy, which progressed upward to cover the entire plant. Initially, leaves exhibited circular to irregular, dark red, small and numerous lesions, which over the time became brown (5-10mm) surrounded by a dark border. As lesions matured, alternating rings of light and dark brown bands developed. The most mature lesions presented like a target-type appearance.
Lesions may present as concentric rings [11] and in case of great severity, the leaves acquire a yellowish colour and easily detach from the branches resulting in defoliation [9].Looking to the recurrent occurrence in one or other region and inflicting intensity or damage under the South Gujarat region. Hence, the present investigation was undertaken to illuminate deeply and meticulously this disease in these districts of South Gujarat.
Word cloud prepared from the Introduction part
Material and Methods
In the South Gujarat region, a survey of the major diseases of cotton crops was carried out in different fields in various districts.Bt cotton fields from different areas were selected randomly on the survey route. In each field, plants were selected at random and the severity of different diseases was recorded. The range of severity of disease intensitywas calculated for foliar disease as the incidence of particular diseases in their respective areas.
Five leaves from the lower part and 5 leaves from the middle/ plant were selected by using 0-4 scale as given by [22] and then these grades were convertedinto percent disease intensity (PDI) by using the formula givenby [26].
No. of infected plants
Disease incidence (%) = ———————————————— x 100
No. of leaves observed x Max. Grade
Disease Rating Scale for Alternaria (ALS), Corynespora (CoLS), Myrothecium (MLS) and Rust disease
| Scale | PDI | Grade | Symptoms |
| 0 | 0.0 | Immune | No Infection |
| 1 | 1-25% | R | A few small spots, less than 2mm, scattered, which over less than 5% leaf area |
| 2 | 26-50% | MR | Spots bigger in size up to 3mm and cover 6-20% leaf area covered |
| 3 | 51-75% | MS | Spots increasing in size 3-5mm, irregular in shape, coalesing and 21-40% leaf area cover |
| 4 | >75% | S | Many spots coalesce to make bigger lesion, irregular in shape and size and covering more than 40% leaf area |
For foliar diseases, it is the standard methodology of AICRP, Cotton.
Table: 1 Information details for South Gujarat Farmers
| 1 | Date of sowing | : | Farmer’s field: With onset of monsoon Research Farm: 12th -29th June (Depending upon rain) |
| 2 | Normal or delayed sowing | : | – |
| 3 | If delayed, reasons there of | : | – |
| 4 | Number of entries sown | : | BG II hybrids on farmer’s field/ others, if any |
| 5 | Details of additional entries sown, if any | : | – |
| 6 | Whether border rows sown | : | – |
| 7 | No. of rows/entry | : | – |
| 8 | Row length (in m) | : | – |
| 9 | Spacing (in cm) | : | 120 x 45 (Irrigated) and 90 x 30 (Rainfed) |
| 10 | No. of replications | : | – |
| 11 | Irrigation No. with date | : | As per availability |
| 12 | No. of Weeding | : | Pre-emergence application of herbicide + 2-3 manual weeding + 2-3 interculturing |
| 13 | Fertilizerapplication | : | 240-40-00 NPK kg/ha as per recommendation for hybrids, G. hirsutum 120-0-0 kg/ha and G. herbaceum&G. arboreum 80-0-0 kg/ha (Rainfed) |
| 14 | Insecticide/Pesticide application | : | Insecticides for sucking pest & Pink boll worm management and fungicides for foliar diseases |
Result & Discussions
In the years 2021, a roving survey was conducted to determine the presence of C. cassiicolapathogen on the cotton plants and to record the observations onPer cent Disease Intensity (PDI) in the cotton-growing regions of Surat, Bharuch and Narmada districts of South Gujarat. Five areas in each field were chosen to determine the severity of the disease. A total of 25 plants were evaluated from each farmer‘s field. The severity of the disease condition was determined by using a 0-4 point disease assessment scale as mentioned. The survey was conducted for symptomatology, incidence, distribution, and spread of the disease along with the results are provided in the Table 2.
Among all the districts of South Gujarat surveyed, the C. cassiicola was more prevalent in Suratdistrict. Various locations had different soil and climatic conditions and crops were at different growth stages during the field visit. The cotton crops were surveyed for the prevalence of C. cassiicolapathogen.
In the Surat district, a survey was carried out in three locations which, had medium to black soil type and the crop was in the flowering to fruiting stage. Table 2 and Fig. 1 revealed that during the year 2021 thedisease intensity of Surat district was ranged from 1.50 to 26.50 per cent. Maximum disease intensity of 0.00-26.50 percent was observed in LRA 5166 followed by G. Cot. Hy. 12 BG II with 0.00-8.50 PDI, G. Cot. Hy. 8 BG II with 0.00-6.50 PDI and G. Cot. Hy. 10 BG II with 0.00-5.50 PDIat Main Cotton Research Station (MCRS) of Choryasi talukaofSurat. The average disease intensity of 17.00 percent was observed in Surat district.In Bharuch district, total of three locations were surveyed. The location had black soil and the cotton crop was in the flowering to the fruiting stage and the disease intensity was ranged from 1.50 to 3.50 percent with themaximum disease intensity of 0.00-3.50 percent was observed in TrinetraBGII at Chiklota village of Valia taluka and the average district disease intensity was 3.00 percent. In Narmada district, total three locations were surveyed. The location had medium to black soil and cotton crop was in the flowering to fruiting stage and the disease intensity ranged from 1.00 to 6.50 percent. Maximum disease intensity of 0.00-6.50 per cent was observed inSadabahar BG II at Kukarada village of Dediyapada taluka and the average district disease intensity was 3.16 per cent.Overall, the survey results indicatedthat the MCRS location of Surat district, which can be considered as the main region for the presence of C. cassiicolapathogen.
Similar research findings were reported by [24], who carried out a survey of the target leaf spot disease in chilli in major chilli growing areas at Basantpur, Mohanpur, Haringhata, Jajuli, Kalyani and Laupala in Nadia district of West Bengal during the year 2015-16. The disease incidence range varied from 11 to 35 percent in different chilli fields.
The survey was conducted in the major cotton-growing districts of Guntur, Krishna, and Prakasam of Andhra Pradesh. The intensity of Corynespora leaf spot disease was observed 15 and 12 percent in AkiraandRCH 659in Krishnadistrict. The averagehighestPDI 21.3percent,11.07percentand7.7percentofCorynesporaleafspotwasrecordedin Krishna,Gunturand Prakasam districts [3].
The survey was conducted in major cotton-growing districts of Bhavnagar,Rajkot and Junagadh of Gujarat, 2021. In mid-season, the PDI of Corynesporaleafspot(CoLS)wasobservedintherangeof0.0-10.5percent. Whereas, in the lateseason,PDI of the Corynespora leaf spot disease (CoLS) wasrecordedintherangeof15.0-55.2percent [4].Whereas,inthelateseason,PDI of the Corynespora leaf spot disease (CoLS) wasrecordedintherangeof15.0-55.2percent [4].
- MCRS, Surat(B) Modaliya, Bharuch
(C) Dediyapada, Narmada(D)Sagbara, Narmada
Table 2 Survey for occurrence of Target spot disease in cotton crop of South Gujarat during the year 2021.
| SSr. No. | District | Taluka | Village / GPS Coordinates | Type of soil | Variety | Stage of crop | Percent Disease Intensity (PDI) Range |
| 1. | Surat | Mangrol | Ambavadi 21.08’56” oN, 72.71’71” oE | Medium black | PandavBG II | Flowering | 0.00-2.50% |
| Choryasi | MCRS farm 21.17’00” oN, 72.80’10” oE | Black | G. Cot. Hy. 12 BG II G. Cot. Hy. 8 BG II G. Cot. Hy. 10 BG II LRA 5166 | Fruiting | 0.00-8.50% 0.00-6.50% 0.00-5.50% 0.00-26.50% | ||
| Umarpada | Vakrant Amba 21.46’56” oN, 73.56’53” oE | Medium black | Rashi Neo 578 BG II | Flowering | 0.00-1.50% | ||
| District Mean | 17.00% | ||||||
| 2. | Bharuch | Valia | Chiklota 21.63’38” oN, 73.31’46” oE | Black | TrinetraBGII | Fruiting | 0.00-3.50% |
| Netrang | Modaliya 21.21’55” oN, 71.54’27” oE | Black | Pandav BG II | Flowering | 0.00-2.00% | ||
| Amod | Ranipura 22.01’53” oN, 72.87’81” oE | Black | Shanar BG II | Fruiting | 0.00-1.50% | ||
| District Mean | 3.00% | ||||||
| 3. | Narmada | Rajpipala | Mota Limbatwada 21.87’57” oN , 73.55’94” oE | Medium Black | Bhagya 999 BG II | Flowering | 0.00-1.00% |
| Dediyapada | Kukarada 21.94’51” oN , 73.87’42” oE | Medium Black | Sadabahar BG II | Flowering | 0.00-6.50% | ||
| Sagbara | Simamli 21.52’00” oN , 73.76’58” oE | Black | Rashi 658 BG II | Flowering | 0.00-2.00% | ||
| District Mean | 3.16% | ||||||
Acknowledgement
The author is highly thankful to the Department of Plant Pathology, N. M. College of Agriculture, NAU, Navsari (Gujarat) and the Scientists of Main Cotton Research Station (MCRS), NAU, Surat (Gujarat)for providing the requisite facility and other obligatory arrangements for the facilitating the experiment.
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