Explore key fungal diseases affecting Bengal gram and understand their management, symptoms, and impact on agriculture. Sharpen your agricultural knowledge on pulse crop health with realistic field examples.
A farmer notices brown lesions with dark margins on Bengal gram leaves and stems, especially after cool, humid weather. Which fungal disease is most likely responsible?
Explanation: Ascochyta blight causes brown lesions with dark borders typically after cool, moist conditions. Powdery mildew appears as white powdery growth, not brown lesions. Fusarium wilt leads to wilting and yellowing, while rust is identified by reddish pustules.
During early seedling growth, some Bengal gram plants suddenly wilt with yellowing of lower leaves and browning inside the stem. Which pathogen is most likely involved?
Explanation: Fusarium oxysporum causes characteristic wilting, yellowing, and brown discoloration inside stems. Rhizoctonia causes damping-off, not wilting. Alternaria primarily creates leaf spots, not stem browning. Erysiphe polygoni is associated with powdery mildew symptoms.
If a Bengal gram field shows white, powdery patches on leaves and pods during dry, warm weather, what is the most probable disease?
Explanation: Powdery mildew appears as white powdery growth on leaves and pods, often in dry, warm conditions. Rust presents as reddish-brown pustules. Cercospora causes brown spots with gray centers, not powdery patches. Collar rot affects the stem base, causing decay.
After heavy rains, a Bengal gram crop exhibits yellowing and collapse of seedlings, with soft rot observed at the soil line. Which practice most helps prevent this fungal disease?
Explanation: Collar rot is favored by waterlogged conditions; ensuring well-drained soil minimizes its incidence. Frequent overhead irrigation and dense sowing increase humidity and disease risk. High nitrogen fertilization can lead to lush growth but does not prevent collar rot.
A grower finds small, raised, reddish-brown pustules on the underside of Bengal gram leaves in mid-season. Which fungal pathogen most likely caused this?
Explanation: Uromyces ciceris-arietini is the primary rust fungus in Bengal gram, creating reddish-brown pustules. Sclerotium rolfsii is linked to stem and collar rot, Macrophomina to dry root rot, and Colletotrichum capsici is not a significant pathogen of Bengal gram.