Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXV, Issue 2
Written by Muhammad AKBAR, Tayyaba KHALIL, Nasim Ahmad YASIN, Waheed AKRAM, Aqeel AHMAD, Muhammad Sajjad IQBAL
Commercial fungicides are effective to control fungal pathogens in agriculture but all are associated with ill effects. In multi-years pot and field trials, we investigated the disease suppressing efficacy of Calotropis procera against Fusarium oxysporum, the causal agent of wilt disease in pea. C. procera reduced negative effects of disease and resulted in 41.1 and 52.8% increase in shoot dry weight besides 94.8 and 84% improvement in root dry weight of pea plant, during years 1 and 2, respectively, in pot bioassays. Similarly, C. procera amendment increased 25.5% and 17.4% green pod yield under field conditions, in years 1 and 2, respectively. Incorporation of C. procera mulches in pea also improved proteins up to 64% and carbohydrates content up to 37.2%. Moreover, iron, calcium and potassium also showed an increased concentration in response to C. procera addition. The present study concluded that C. procera mulches can be used to manage Fusarium wilt disease and to improve nutritional traits of pea.
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