Root rot is a serious threat to agriculture especially in horticulture worldwide, continuously reducing yields and posing risk to crop survival. Depending on the causal agent, host susceptibility, and the environmental factors, entire fields can be lost to this disease. Bacterial and viral root rots are less common and not many studies have reported these causal agents.
Oomycetes and fungi have been found to be the most commonly widespread root rot pathogens. Reported Oomycetes are Aphanomyces spp., Pythium spp., and Phytophthora spp. Several fungi were reported to cause root rot, including, Rhizoctonia spp., Fusarium spp. and Phoma spp., etc. These diseases are highly influenced by the environment, with a broad range of hosts, hidden underground symptoms, and overwinter structures of many roots rot pathogens, disease control and management are very complex and hard to achieve.
In the India’s state of Bihar over the last five year, papaya root rot incited by Fusarium solani has been creating havoc to papaya growers of Bihar as this disease cause more than 80% mortality in infected field. To date, no management strategies have been worked out to manage the menace of this disease.
Keeping in view of the disaster of root rot in various horticultural crops, this webinar will count on eminent plant pathologists specialized in the management of root rot disease. The outcome of the discussion will be helpful in planning research strategies for proper management of root rot in horticultural crops.
The session aims to: 1) provide a common platform for the invited plant pathologists specialized in the management of root rot disease to formulate a management strategy; and 2) educate the scientific and farming community about the extent of the problem and its management practices.