The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University has released a press statement addressing the increased episodes of fungal wilt in the fruit orchards.
"The incidence occurs at nursery stage, where the planting materials such as ground layers, rooted cuttings and grafts are themselves infested with root knot nematodes. The symptoms are sometimes seen as marginal necrosis in leaves and small knots / galls (roundish swellings) on roots.
Such infested materials once planted in fields will start deteriorating after one to two years by which time it will be too late to retrieve the plants. Nematodes pave way for entry of fungi through the wounds caused by their feeding, which further aggravates the situation by way of causing wilt disease in fruit orchards", says the press release.
As "Prevention is better than cure", experts from TNAU have advised the Farmers to randomly check the poly bags by removing the soil medium and observing roots for any knots or swellings, before they make bulk purchases from nurseries. This will avoid entry of nematodes into orchards through the plant materials, which once establish themselves, become difficult to control.
"The incidence occurs at nursery stage, where the planting materials such as ground layers, rooted cuttings and grafts are themselves infested with root knot nematodes. The symptoms are sometimes seen as marginal necrosis in leaves and small knots / galls (roundish swellings) on roots.
Such infested materials once planted in fields will start deteriorating after one to two years by which time it will be too late to retrieve the plants. Nematodes pave way for entry of fungi through the wounds caused by their feeding, which further aggravates the situation by way of causing wilt disease in fruit orchards", says the press release.
As "Prevention is better than cure", experts from TNAU have advised the Farmers to randomly check the poly bags by removing the soil medium and observing roots for any knots or swellings, before they make bulk purchases from nurseries. This will avoid entry of nematodes into orchards through the plant materials, which once establish themselves, become difficult to control.