Alternaria Leaf Blight is a Major Foliar Fungal Disease of Rabi-Summer Groundnut

Abstract

Alternaria leaf blight disease of groundnut is an emerging foliar fungal disease particularly in rabi-summer season in India. Alternaria is a weak opportunistic pathogen causing leaf spots, rots and blights on many plant parts of about 400 host plant species. Its severity varies from state to state and increases whenever the crop is facing any biotic and abiotic stresses. This disease significantly affects groundnut pod, haulm yield and kernel quality. In disease management practices, effective chemical control measures are available for the control of this disease but it is costly and also pollutes the environment besides that disease can be manage by cultural practices, host plant resistance and bio-control measures. Currently high level of resistance to Alternaria leaf blight is not available in groundnut cultivars but germplasm having high level of resistance. Therefore now efforts are being made to develop high yielding groundnut cultivars using available resistance sources of Alternaria leaf blight.