A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: 30 Dec 2008
Source: The Times of India (TNN) [edited] <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/Infected_crop_shoots_up_onion_prices/articleshow/3910670.cms>

Infected crop shoots up onion prices

Onions are set to bring tears to consumers' eyes once again as prices in the retail market rose as a result of the new crop being hit by a fungal infection.

Earlier, heavy rains adversely affected the onion crop in Nashik and other parts of the state. The rates will continue to be on the higher side for the next couple of months as over 30 percent of the crop has been affected by the fungal disease called 'Karpa'. Besides Nashik, Ahmednagar and Pune districts, some parts of Satara district also grows onion.

Shivlal Bhosle, chairman of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Market yard Commission Agents Association said, "In November [2008], many farmers released their stock because prices were high." The stock is about to be exhausted while there is a significant reduction in fresh crop.
Even supply from some northern states has dipped, making the situation worse, he added.

At present, Pune consumes 200 tonnes of onion every day. The annual onion production in the country is 7.5 million tonnes. Raju Morya, a commission agent at Pune agriculture produce market committee said, "There is onion shortage in the gap when harvest of fresh onion crop is awaited. Generally the situation lasts only for a short period, but this time we are facing a major shortage."

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The term 'karpa' appears to be used in Maharashtra for leaf blight (bacterial or fungal) and anthracnose diseases in a range of crops.
In onion, there are 3 fungal leaf blights: blight and stem rot caused by _Stemphylium vesicarium_, which is a serious problem in northern and eastern parts of India, especially in seed crops; anthracnose caused by _Glomerella cingulata_ (synonym _Colletotrichum gloeosporioides_), which is an economically important disease during the rainy season in Maharashtra and some neighbouring states; and blast caused by _Botrytis_ species, which does not appear to be considered a major problem in India. The disease reported above may be anthracnose or stemphylium blight, since both have been reported from Maharashtra before.

All 3 leaf blights can cause serious yield losses in onion. For example, 100 percent crop loss due to anthracnose has been reported from the Philippines. Disease management for the blight pathogens includes fungicide treatments, although the effectiveness for anthracnose appears to be in doubt. Blight resistant onion cultivars are being developed. For more information on the blight diseases please see links listed below.

Maps
India:
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/images/IndiaMap_tourism.gif>
and
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=1264418&v=19.5,75,5>
Maharashtra districts:
<http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/maharashtra/maharashtra.htm>

Pictures
Stemphylium leaf blight on onion:
<http://www.bspp.org.uk/NDR/jan2007/2006-72-1.jpg>
Onion anthracnose symptoms:
<http://www.infonet-biovision.org/res/res/files/626.400x400.jpeg> (bulb)
and <http://www.bspp.org.uk/image%20gallery/alberto2.jpg> (shoot)

Links
Onion diseases in India:
<http://www.nhrdf.com/htmlfiles/Onion/link6.htm>  (including distribution map), <http://nhb.gov.in/bulletin_files/vegetable/onion/oni002.pdf>,
 and <http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=358_43>
Information on stemphylium blight:
<http://ag.arizona.edu/PLP/plpext/diseases/vegetables/onion/Onionslb.htm>
and <http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/newsletters/vpmnews/may01/art5may.html>
Information on onion anthracnose:
<http://www.openacademy.ph/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=1071>,
<http://www.agridept.gov.lk/FCRDI/Ach_Cndi.htm#big>,
and <http://libnts.avrdc.org.tw/fulltext_pdf/eam0072.pdf>
Botrytis leaf blight fact sheet:
<http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Onion_Botrytis.htm>
Fungal taxonomy via:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp>
Use of 'karpa' for blight diseases of different crops via:
<http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/list.php>
List of onion diseases:
<http://www.apsnet.org/online/common/comment/onion.asp>.  - Mod.DHA]

[see also in the archive:
2002
-----
Botrytis sp., onion - USA (Washington) 20021005.5474]