Management of needle blight (Lophodermium pinastri) disease in Blue pine trees in Kashmir, India

Evaluation of various fungicides against needle blight disease of pine was carried out at Sheri Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (India) during the year 2008 and 2009. Application of various fungicides were evaluated in vivo at different concentrations. However in both, mist-chamber and poly-chamber, the Blue pine (Pinus wallichiana Jackson) seedlings treated with hexaconazole 5EC (@ 0.03 %) or carbendazim 50WP (@ 0.1 %) depicted significantly less disease incidence and intensity. The seedlings treated with mancozeb 75WP (@ 0.3 %) and chlorothalonil 75WP (@ 0.3 %) exhibited less disease incidence and intensity. Increase in relative humidity from 60 to 100 % significantly enhanced needle blight disease incidence and intensity. In field trial the fungitoxicants used either as single spray or protectant followed by systemic fungitoxicant spray significantly reduced disease incidence in Blue pine compared to check. The mean disease incidence in fungitoxicant treated plants varied from 11.82 to 25.51 % as compared to 36.03 % in control.