📈 Diseases of Betelvine,
Diseases of Betelvine.
This lesson on Diseases of Betelvine, covers major diseases, key symptoms, spread/survival, and management points for exam-focused and field-level understanding.
Foot rot or Leaf rot or wilt - Phytophthora parasitica var. piperina
Symptoms
The fungus attacks the vines at all stages of crop growth. Initial symptom is sudden
wilting of vines. The affected vines show yellowing and drooping of the leaves from tip
downwards. The leaves become dull due to loss of lustre. The affected plant dry up completely
within 2 or 3 days. The succulent stem turns brown, brittle and dry as stick. The lower portion of
the stem near the soil level shows irregular black lesions upto second or third internode. The
diseased intermodes undergo ‘wet rot’ and the tissue become soft, slimy with a fishy odour. The
roots of the affected plants also show extensive discolouration and rotting.
In the young crop, the fungus produces ‘Leaf rot’ symptoms. The leaves near the soil
region show circular to irregular water soaked spots, often starting from the edge. The spots
rapidly enlarge and cover a part or whole of the leaf blade, which shows rotting. The leaves turn
brown to dark brown or dirty black and defoliation occurs. The leaves with in 2-3 feet height of
the vine show the leaf rot symptom.
Pathogen
The fungus produces hyaline, non septate mycelium. The sporangia are thinwalled,
hyaline ovate or learn shaped with papillae, measuring 30-40 X 15-20um. Zoospores, which are
liberated from the sporangia, are kidney-shaped and biflagellate. Oospores are dark brown,
globose and thick walled.
Favourable Conditions
September to February months with high atmospheric humidity and low night
temperature (23˚C and below) are highly favorable.
Mode of Spread and Survival
The fungus is soil-borne and survives as facultative saprophyte in the infected plant
debris and in the soil as oospores and chlamydospores. The fungus mainly spreads from field to
field through irrigation water. The secondary spread is through sporangia and zoospores
disseminated by splash irrigation and wind-borne rains.
Management
Select were matured (more one year old) seed vines from fields. Soak the seed vines in
Streptocycline 500 ppm + Bordeaux mixture 0.05 per cent solution for 30 minutes. Apply 150 kg
N/ha/year through neemcake (75 kg N) and 100 kg P2 O5 through Super phosphate and 50 kg
Muriate of potash in 3 split doses, first at 15 days after lifting the vines and second and third dose
at 40-45 days interval. Apply shade dried Neem leaf or Calotrophis leaves at 2t/ha in 2 split
doses and cover it with mud. Collect and destory the infected vines and leaves. Regulate
irrigation during the cold weather period. Drench the soil with 0.5 per cent Bordeaux mixture at
500 ml/hill during the cool weather period (October-January) at monthly intervals.
Sclerotium foot rot and wilt - Sclerotium rolfsii
Symptoms
The vines of all stages are susceptible to the disease. The infection usually starts at the
collar region. Whitish cottony mycelium is seen on the stem and roots. The stem portion shows
rotting of tissues at the point of attack and the plants show dropping of leaves and withering
finally dry up.
Pathogen
The fungus produces white to grey mycelium which have profuse branching. Sclerotia
are spherical smooth and shiny. Brown coloured mustard like sclerotia are seen on the infected
stem and soil near the vines.
Favourable Conditions
May-July months with high temperature of 28-30˚C
Mode of Spread and Survival
The fungus is soil-borne and grow saprophytically in the dead plant tissue in soil. The
fungus also survives as sclerotia in the infected plant debris in the soil for more than one year.
The sclerotia spreads through irrigation water. The pathogen also survives on other hosts like
chilli groundnut and brinjal.
Management
Remove the affected vines along with the roots and burn. Apply more of soil
amendments like neemcake, mustard cake or farmyard manure. Drench the soil with 0.1 per cent
Carbendazim.
Powdery mildew- Oidium piperis
Symptoms
The disease affects the crop at all stages of its growth and infection is mainly noticed on
tender shoots and leaves. Whitish powdery growth is seen on both the surface of leaves which
later enlarges and cover the major portion of the leaves. The affected tender shoots and buds are
deformed and shrivelled and margins of leaves tum inwards. When the disease advances, the
whitish growth turns to brown blotches and in servere cases, the leaves turn yellow and
defoliation occurs.
Pathogen
The fungus is ectophytic and produces profusely branched, hyaline and septate hyphae on
the surface of the leaves. The conidiophores are short, club shaped, non-septate and hyaline and
produce conidia in chains. Conidia are single celled, hyaline elliptical, and borne over short
conidiophore.
Favourable Conditions
Dry humid weather during the months of May-July.
Mode of Spread and Survival
The fungus survives in the infected crop residues in the soil. The primary infection is
from soil-borne inoculum. The secondary spread in the field is through wind-borne conidia and
carried through splash irrigation.
Management
Collect and burn the infected leaves. Spray 0.2 per cent Wettable Sulphur or dust Sulphur
at 25 kg/ha after plucking the leaves.
Anthracnose- Colletotrichum piperis
Symptoms
The leaves show small black circular spots initially which later enlarge and develop to a
size of 2 cm in size, become concentric and covered with a yellow halo. The affected leaves turn
pale yellow and dry up with large black dots in the centre of the spots. Black, circular lesions
may develop on the stem, enlarge rapidly and gridle the stem resulting in withering and drying.
Pathogen
The fungus produces large number of acervuli containing short, hyaline conidiophores
and block coloured setae. The conidia are single celled, hyaline and falcate.
Mode of Spread and Survival
The fungus remain in the infected plant debris in the field. The primary infection is
through the soil-borne conidia, spread by rainwater splash or splash irrigation. The secondary
spread in the field is aided by air-borne conidia.
Management
Collect and destory the infected vines and leaves. Spray 0.2 per cent Ziram or 0.5 per
cent Bordeaux mixture after plucking the leaves.
Bacterial leaf spot or stem rot - Xanthomonas campestris p.v. betlicola
Symptoms
The disease initiates as tiny, brown water soaked specks on the leaves surrounded by a
yellow halo, which enlarge later and become necrotic and angular, mostly confined to interveinal
areas. The infected leaves loose their lustre, turn yellow, show withering and fall off. Under wet
weather condition, infection spreads to stem showing small elongated black lesions on lower
nodes and inter nodes. These lesions increase in size in both directions and blackening may
spreads to the length of several nodes. The stem tissues become weak and break easily at the
infected nodes and the vine show withering and drying.
Pathogen
Bacterium is a small rod with a single polar flagellum. It is Gram negative and non-spore
forming.
Favourable Conditions
Cloudy weather with intermittent rains and high relative humidity. Two to 3 years old
vines are highly susceptible.
Mode of Spread and Survival
The bacteria which are viable in the infected vines and leaves serve as a primary source
of inoculum. Rain splashes and splash irrigation water help in the secondary spread.
Management
Remove and burn the infected vines and stubbles in the field. Regulate irrigation during
cold weather season. Spray Streptocycline 400 ppm+Bordeaux mixture 0.25 per cent at 20 days
intervals, after plucking the leaves.
Summary Cheat Sheet
| Focus Area | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| Disease diagnosis | Identify each disease using hallmark symptoms and affected plant part. |
| Spread and survival | Remember seed-, soil-, water-, and vector-borne survival pathways. |
| Management | Use integrated control: sanitation, resistant material, and need-based sprays/drenches. |
References
2 sources • [1] [2]
References
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