Explore medium-level questions on diseases impacting gram crops, their symptoms, and effective management strategies. This quiz is ideal for students and practitioners interested in protecting agricultural yields from common pathogens.
Which of the following is a characteristic symptom of Fusarium wilt in gram plants?
Explanation: Fusarium wilt commonly causes yellowing and drooping of the lower leaves, followed by wilting of the entire plant. White powdery patches are typical of powdery mildew, not wilt. Circular brown spots with yellow halos suggest Ascochyta blight, while black sooty mold is usually associated with insect honeydew, not Fusarium wilt.
What visible sign best helps identify Ascochyta blight in gram crops during early infection?
Explanation: Ascochyta blight is best recognized by circular dark spots on leaves with distinctive yellow borders. Sudden stem lodging points more to root rot, while white cobwebby growth describes fungal rust, and curling without discoloration could arise from physiological disorders rather than blight.
Which management practice is most effective in reducing the spread of collar rot in gram crops?
Explanation: Treating seeds with fungicide before sowing is a fundamental step to control collar rot as it reduces fungal infection at the seedling stage. Increased nitrogen can cause lush, susceptible growth, overhead irrigation raises humidity aiding fungi, and planting in peak rain can further promote disease spread.
Which organism is primarily responsible for causing pod rot in gram crops?
Explanation: Rhizoctonia bataticola is a soil-borne fungus that often leads to pod rot in gram, infecting the pods and sometimes the roots. Puccinia graminis causes rust diseases, Xanthomonas campestris is a bacterial pathogen not linked with pod rot, and the aphid indirectly spreads viral diseases, not fungi-induced pod rot.
If a farmer observes powdery, white fungal growth on the upper surfaces of gram leaves, which recommended approach should be applied first?
Explanation: Applying sulfur-based fungicide is the standard initial response for powdery mildew, as it specifically targets fungal spores. Insecticides address insect pests, while more irrigation can worsen humidity-linked fungal issues, and pruning lower branches does not directly manage powdery mildew outbreaks.