Integrated Plant Disease Management

In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Meaning of Integrated Plant Disease Management 2. Procedure of Integrated Plant Disease Management 3. Programmes.

Meaning of Integrated Plant Disease Management:

In a disease pyramid, three principal com­ponents are considered. These are host, pathogen, and the environment. All the three components act together during disease develop­ment. Thus, to protect a plant from disease(s) one has to tackle all the three parameters at the same time.

The management programme should cover the integration of all the methods; those favour the host, discourage the pathogen and modify the environment. This type of management pro­gramme to control plant diseases is called Integrated Disease Management i.e., IDM or Integrated Pest Management i.e., IPM.

Procedure of Integrated Plant Disease Management:

The procedure of management is different in respect of the principal component:

A. Management of Host:

It includes:

(a) Procedure to improve plant vigour.

(b) Induction of disease resistance, and

(c) Breeding for disease resistance.

B. Management of Pathogen:

It includes:

(a) Eradication or reduction of inoculum.

(b) Application of chemicals on plant sur­face, to discourage the pathogen.

(c) Prevention through legislation (i.e., keeping the pathogen away from the host) by quarantine, etc.

C. Management of Environment:

It includes:

(a) Crop management.

(b) Soil management, and

(c) Water management.

According to G. N. Agrios (1997), the main goals of an integrated plant disease control pro­gram are:

1. To eliminate or reduce the amount of initial inoculum.

2. To reduce the effectiveness of initial inocu­lum.

3. To increase the resistance of the host.

4. To delay the onset of disease, and

5. To slow down the secondary cycle.

Programmes of Integrated Plant Disease Management:

The programme of Integrated Plant Disease Control can be taken against a particular com­mon disease, such as late blight disease of pota­to or against all diseases affecting a particular crop such, as Potato, Apple, Citrus etc.

A. Integrated Management in an Annual Crop:

The following programmes must be under­taken for annual plants like potato against diffe­rent diseases like late blight (fungus), brown rot and ring rot (bacteria), leaf roll of potato (virus – potato virus-1), etc.:

1. Stock tuber should be free from any disease i.e., a healthy tuber is needed.

2. Field should be cleaned from previous years plant debris and tubers, if any, where patho­gen may perpetuate for the next season.

3. Crop rotation must be done with legume or any other crop plant, except Solanaceous members.

4. Plant should be protected from disease through foliar spray at regular intervals.

5. Make the soil loose by ploughing and expose it to sunlight for few days in summer months and/or fumigate the soil with chemicals.

B. Integrated Management in a Perennial Crop:

For perennial crop like orchard crop (peach, apple, pear etc.); following programme should be undertaken:

1. Nursery-stock should be fumigated (to era­dicate the nematode, if present).

2. The stock should be fumigated (to eradicate the nematode, if present).

3. The growing field should be fumigated before planting to eradicate any pathogen like Armillaria, Phytophthora, if present.

4. Proper drainage in the field should be main­tained.

5. Stock should not grow in old field near the old plants that may carry different pathogens like canker, etc.

6. The field should be properly irrigated, and supplemented by fertilisers.

7. Plants should be sprayed regularly to protect them from different diseases and insect pests.

8. Usually the fruits become susceptible to several fruit rotting and fruit spotting fungi that attack at different stages till harvest or even in storage. So the fruits should be sprayed at 10-14 days’ interval. Sometimes insects can damage at any stage, thereby the fungi infect the fruit through wound. Thus, the insecticides should be applied at intervals.

So the integrated control programme includes several control methods like legislation (quarantine, inspection etc.); cultural practices (sanitation, crop rotation etc.); chemical controls (spraying of plants, fumigation of soil, surface sterilisation of planting materials etc.). All the required procedures for a particular crop should be followed to overcome the disease(s) and/or insect pests.