Status and Etiology of Canker disease of apple in Kashmir

176 Pages·2017·6.62 MB·English

by  Nisar Ahmad Khan

Status and Etiology of Canker disease of
apple in Kashmir

Nisar Ahmad Khan
(2005-141-D)

Division of Plant Pathology
Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and
Technology of Kashmir
2010
Status and Etiology of Canker disease of
apple in Kashmir

Nisar Ahmad Khan
(2005-141-D)

THESIS
Submitted to
The Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies

Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and
Technology of Kashmir

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for award of the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture
(Plant Pathology)
2010
Dedicated

to

my Parents
ACKNOWLEGEMENT
With limitless humility, I would like to praise and thank “God” the Almighty, the
Merciful, the Compassionate, Who bestowed me with health and courage enough to go
through this crucial juncture.
I humbly express my obeisance to Almighty for granting me the sincere and valuable
guidance of the most enlightened, assiduous and impeccable scientist Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad,
Professor-cum-Chief Scientist, Division of Plant Pathology, SKUAST-K, Shalimar. I
gratefully rejoice to express with profound sense of gratitude his indepth research vision,
refined way of constructive approach, sustained encouragement and technically valuable
suggestions which enabled me to take this research to its logical conclusion.
I express my thanks to Dr. M. Y. Ghani, Professor-cum-Chief Scientist, Division of
Post Harvest Technology for his sustained encouragement and scholarly suggestions which
induced a sense of confidence in me to undertake the present studies. I feel an immeasurable
debt of gratitude to Dr. M. S. Wani, Professor-cum-Chief Scientist, Division of Pomology,
Dr. M. A. Khan, Dean, Faculty of Forestry and Dr. Khurshaid Ahmad, Associate Professor-
cum-Senior Scientist, Division of Plant Pathology for their ever willing generous help,
constructive criticism and valuable suggestions.
My sincere thanks are due to Dr. G. H. Dar, Professor & Head, Division of Plant
Pathology for ever encouraging inspirations and scholarly suggestions during the present
endeavour.
Special thanks are due to Dr. Muzaffar A. Beigh and Dr. Shahzad Ahmad,
Associate Professors, Division of Plant Pathology for their unreserved co-operations and
relentless help rendered by them during the course of investigations.
It is worthwhile to make a special mention of Dr. Vinay Sagar presently working as
Senior Scientist, Plant Pathology, ICAR, Shimla for his whole hearted support and valuable
suggestions.
With immense pleasure, I express my sincere thanks to my seniors and colleagues Dr.
Qazi Nisar Ahmad, Dr. Mohammad Azam Wani, Dr. Nazir Ahmad Munshi, Dr. Ali Anwar,
Associate Professors, Dr. V. K. Ambardhar, Dr. R. N. Koul, Mr. Peerzada Shafat Hussain,
Mrs. Shaheen Kausar, Dr. M. D. Shah, Dr. Bilal Ahmad and Mr. Ashraf Allam, Assistant
Professors, Division of Plant Pathology for their everlasting encouragements during the
course of investigations.
Profound thanks are due to Professor Allan J. L. Phillips, Principal Researcher,
Centro de Recursos Microbiologicos, Caprica, Portugul for his kind help and appropriate
suggestions in fungal identifications.
I am highly grateful to Dr. T. Prameela, Principal Scientist-cum-Head, Indian Type
Culture Collection, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, Dr. Nita Mathur,
Senior Scientist, ITCC, IARI for confirming the identification of fungal pathogens.
Thanks are due to authorities of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences
and Technology of Kashmir for sponsoring me to undertake the present studies as an inservice
candidate.
The assistance from the laboratory and field staff of Division of Plant Pathology is
duly acknowledged. The assistance of Mr. Ghulam Nabi Bhat is worth remembering.
I owe much to my esteemed parents who has been a source of constant
encouragement, love, prayers and whose blessings are always with me.
I shall forever remain indebted to my brothers Shakeel, Tufail and Suhail for their
constant encouragement during the course of studies. Also, I wish to keep on record the
devotion, encouragement and perseverance exhibited by my better half during the course of my
studies. I may, however, fail in my duty by not appreciating the patience shown by my
daughter Bareeq, son Numair and nephew Mohsin during the entire period and allowed me to
undertake the present studies at the cost of their comforts.
Last but not the least, I am thankful to Mr. Mohammad Yaqoob, Chief Composer of
IAS Computers, Dalgate, Srinagar for typesetting, composing and printing of this manuscript
with full dedication and utmost care.
(Nisar Ahmad)
Dt: ___ -___ -2010
Sher-e-Kashmir
University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
Division of Plant Pathology, Shalimar, Srinagar - 191121
-:-
CERTIFICATE - I
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Status and Etiology of
Canker disease of apple in Kashmir” submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in
Agriculture (Plant Pathology) to the Faculty of Post-Graduate Studies,
Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of
Kashmir is a record of bona-fide research work carried out by Mr. Nisar
Ahmad Khan (Registration No. 2005-141-D) under my supervision and
guidance. No part of the thesis has been submitted for any other degree or
diploma.
It is further certified that any help or information received during the
course of investigation has duly been acknowledged.
(Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad)
Chairman
Advisory Committee

Endorsed

Professor & Head
Division of Plant Pathology
Sher-e-Kashmir
University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
Division of Plant Pathology, Shalimar, Srinagar - 191121
-:-

CERTIFICATE - II
We, the members of Advisory Committee of Mr. Nisar Ahmad
Khan (Registration No. 2005-141-D), a candidate for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture (Plant Pathology), have gone
through the manuscript of the thesis entitled, “Status and Etiology of
Canker disease of apple in Kashmir” and recommend that it may be
submitted by the student in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Chairman Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad
Professor-cum-Chief Scientist
Division of Plant Pathology
SKUAST (K), Shalimar
Members
Dr. M. Y. Ghani Dr. M. S. Wani
Professor-cum-Chief Scientist Professor-cum-Chief Scientist
Division of Post Harvest Technology Division of Pomology
SKUAST (K), Shalimar SKUAST(K), Shalimar
Dr. Khursheed Ahmad Dr. M. A. Khan
Associate Professor-cum-Sr. Scientist Dean, Faculty of Forestry
Division of Plant Pathology. SKUAST-K, Shalimar
SKUAST-K, Shalimar (Dean PG Nominee)
Sher-e-Kashmir
University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir
Division of Plant Pathology, Shalimar, Srinagar - 191121
-:-
CERTIFICATE - III
This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Status and Etiology of
Canker disease of apple in Kashmir” submitted by Mr. Nisar Ahmad
Khan (Registration No. 2005-141-D) to the Faculty of Post-Graduate
Studies, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and
Technology of Kashmir, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture (Plant
Pathology) was examined and approved by the Advisory Committee and
external examiner (s) on __-___-2010.

Chairman (External Examiner)
Advisory Committee

Professor & Head
Division of Plant Pathology

Director
Resident Instruction-cum-Dean
Post-Graduate Studies, SKUAST (K)
Sher-e-Kashmir
University of Agricultural Sciences & Technology of Kashmir
Division of Plant Pathology, Shalimar, Srinagar 191 121
Name of the student : Nisar Ahmad Khan
Registration No. : 2005-141-D
Major Subject : Plant Pathology
Minor Subject : Pomology and Post Harvest Technology
Major Advisor : Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad
Professor-cum-Chief Scientist

Division of Plant Pathology
SKUAST-K, Shalimar
Title of thesis : Status and Etiology of Canker disease of apple
in Kashmir
ABSTRACT
Cankers attained the statue of a major disease of apple (Malus domestica
Borkh.) in Kashmir during the last few years. Survey of the apple orchards in
Baramulla, Pulwama and Budgam districts during 2006 and 2007 revealed the
prevalence of four different types of cankers — smoky canker, stem bark canker,
Cytospora canker and anthracnose canker — with varying degrees of incidence.
Smoky canker was most prevalent with an average incidence of 46.67 per cent
followed by stem bark canker (28.10%). Cytospora and anthracnose cankers were
lesser frequent. Smoky canker was characterized by the appearance of sunken
reddish brown lesion which on enlargement became elliptical, developed series of
concentric rings, turned smoky, girdled the affected limb or branch and
roughened the large tree trunks; the stem bark canker appeared as reddish brown
lesion, occasionally with purplish margins, which on enlargement became
elliptical, developed vertical and horizontal fissures, turned black, brittle and
completely girdled the affected tree part. The cytospora canker mostly originating
as vertical crack along the branch/ twig developed in to pale yellowish water-
soaked area which later turned brownish and brittle and caused collapse of
branches by downward elongation and depression. The anthracnose canker, on the
other hand, appeared as small water-soaked area which extended along the
branch/ twig axis, rendered the diseased bark brownish, which on rupturing
finally peeled off. The pathogens constantly associated with these diseases were
isolated and pathogenicity established on potted saplings of apple cv. Red
Delicious. Based on morphological characters and pathogenicity as compared
with authentic descriptions, the pathogens were identified as Diplodia seriata De
Not. associated with smoky canker; Botryosphaeria dothidea (Moug. Fr.) Ces. &
De Not. associated stem bark canker; Valsa ambiens (Pers. Ex. Fr.) Fr. associated
with Cytospora canker and Cryptosporiopsis sp. associated with anthracnose
canker. The most prevalent canker pathogen, Diplodia seriata, exhibited
maximum in vitro radial mycelial growth and fructification on oat meal and
potato dextrose agar media with pH 6.0 at 25±1OC; sucrose and glucose were the
best carbon sources, while sodium and potassium nitrate proved better nitrogen
sources. Field evaluation of six linseed oil based fungicide paints when applied
four times a year at intervals of three months on existing unscrapped and scrapped
smoky cankers revealed better efficiency of the test paints on scrapped cankers
than on unscrapped ones. When applied on unscrapped cankers, none of the paints
completely restricted the canker spread though a pronounced and significant
effect among the paints was observed. Application of the test paints on the
scrapped cankers completely restricted the canker spread and exhibited wound
healing without recurrence of the disease. Carbendazim in combination with
either chlorothalonil or captan gave 92 and 84 per cent wound healing followed
by the admixture of carbendazim with either copper oxychloride (80%) or
mancozeb (76%); Bordeaux and Chaubattia paints proved least effective. Of the
fourteen elite apple cultivars screened under natural field conditions for tolerance
to D. seriata, none of the cultivars exhibited tolerant or moderately tolerant
reactions; however, the cultivars viz. King of Pippins, Yellow Newton and Ambri
were moderately susceptible to the pathogen.
Key words : Apple, Canker, Diplodia seriata, Botryosphaeria dothidea,
Valsa ambiens, Cryptosporiopsis sp., Symptoms, Fungicide
paints, Varietal screening
Signature of Advisor Signature of Student