YIELD LOSS ASSESSMENT AND INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON CHARCOAL ROT DEVELOPMENT IN SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.)

Abstract

Charcoal rot of sesame caused by Macrophomina phaseolina is one of the major yield reducing factor in sesame

(Sesamum indicum L.). Temperature and relative humidity play a significant role in development of this disease. In the present studies which was carried out at Instructional farm of IGKV, Raipur during kharif 2011-12 both factors were found to have a significant role in disease development on sesame under field conditions. Maximum temperature (31.6°C), minimum temperature (24.0°C) and relative humidity (88%) favoured high disease development. Positive and non significant correlation was observed between disease and temperature while significant, negative correlation was noticed between disease development and relative humidity. Assessment of yield losses in sesame due to M. phaseolina was done at capsule formation stage. The plants protected with fungicides gave more (46) number of capsules per plant, number of seeds per capsule (45.0), weight of 1000 seeds in healthy capsule (2.91 g) and infected capsule (1.83 g).