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[1] Collar rot & leaf blights, tomato & capsicum - Himachal Pradesh
[2] Common leaf spot, strawberry - Jammu & Kashmir

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[1] Collar rot & leaf blights, tomato & capsicum - Himachal Pradesh
Date: Fri 19 Jun 2009
Source: The Indian Express [edited]
<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Fungal-attacks-blight-hopes-of-capsicum--tomato-growers/478483>

Fungal attacks blight hopes of capsicum, tomato growers

Tomato and capsicum crops grown in the mid-hills of the state are increasingly being lost to collar rot and leaf blight diseases; 30 to 40 per cent of the crops are said to have already been destroyed.

"A sudden rise in diurnal temperature owing to a prolonged dry spell coupled with unusual rains in the mid-hills over the past fortnight have made the crops vulnerable to attacks of various fungal and bacterial pathogens," said Dr S K Sharma, Mycology and Plant Pathology, Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry.

He said tomato crops in Junaji, Shilli, Deothi Patta (Mehlog) have so far been found infected with the collar rot disease.

Tomato, which is largely credited to have transformed the economy of the farming community of this hilly state, is grown as a major off-season cash crop in Solan, Sirmour, Bilaspur, Una, Kangra, Hamirpur, and Mandi districts over 18 000 hectares [approx. 44 500 acres] of land. Its annual production is around 500 000 metric tonnes.

[Byline: Arvind Kashyap]

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[2] Common leaf spot, strawberry - Jammu & Kashmir
Date: Fri 19 Jun 2009
Source: The Indian Express [edited]
<http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Disease-stalks-Jammu-s-strawberry--farmers-worried/478486>

Disease stalks Jammu's strawberry crop, farmers worried

The strawberry crop grown over hundreds of acres in Jammu is threatened by widespread fungal attacks. In many areas, the plants have in fact prematurely wilted following a fungal blight attack.
According to cultivators in Bishnah, Samba, and Hiranagar -- major strawberry producing areas -- many plants have been affected with _Mycosphaerella_, a plant disease, resulting in wilting of leaves and stems of the plant.

Jammu and Kashmir produces nearly 100 000 kg [approx. 221 000 lb] of strawberries annually, which not only cater to the local demand but are also sent to other states of the country. There are about 14 different varieties of the fruit and in addition of being consumed fresh, it is also used in dairy products.

A senior scientist at Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University, Dr J P Sharma, said, "We have received reports about a fungal blight attack on stems and leaves of the strawberry crop," adding that though it is for the horticulture department to take measures, the [university is] also ready to cooperate.

[Byline: Sumit Hakhoo]

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[The fungus _Alternaria solani_ causes leaf blight and fruit rot on tomato (early blight), as well as collar rot on tomato seedlings, and can also affect capsicum. This may be one of the pathogens referred to in item 1. However, leaf blights on these hosts can also be caused by the fungus-like organism _Phytophthora infestans_ (late blight) and the bacterium _Xanthomonas vesicatoria_ (bacterial leaf spot), and both fungal and bacterial pathogens are reported to be active.
From the information provided, it cannot be excluded that these pathogens may be involved. For more information on these diseases please see links below.

Common leaf spot caused by the fungus _Mycosphaerella fragariae_ is one of the most widespread diseases of strawberry crops. Symptoms include leaf and stem lesions and infection may also result in black spots or seed discolouration ("black seed") on fruit. Only young leaf tissue is susceptible, and only after a minimum of 12 hours of leaf wetness. High rainfall and warm temperatures favour disease development and can lead to epidemics. The fungus can be spread with infected plant material, by wind, water, and mechanical means.
Disease management includes cultural methods, fungicides, and use of clean planting material. Some resistant cultivars are available.

Maps
India:
<http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/images/IndiaMap_tourism.gif>
and
Himachal Pradesh
<http://healthmap.org/r/00u2>
districts:
<http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/himachalpradesh/himachalpradesh.htm>
Jammu and Kashmir
<http://healthmap.org/r/00u4>
districts:
<http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/jammuandkashmir/jammuandkashmir-district.htm>

Pictures
Early blight on tomato fruit:
<http://www.extension.umn.edu/projects/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/images/plantpath/colorslide/
early_blight_fruit_rot_036_large.jpg>
_A. solani_ collar rot on tomato seedlings:
<http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-708/L_IMG_fig1.jpg>
Late blight on tomato:
<http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/hort/news/hortmatt/2006/23hrt06a3f1.jpg>
Bacterial leaf spot on tomato and capsicum:
<http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Images/Impt_Diseases/112_Tom_Bact.jpg>
and
<http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/PhotoPages/Peppers/PepperLeafSpot/LSPepperPhotoList.htm>
_Mycosphaerella_ spots on strawberry:
<http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/factshts/smallfr/lspsmf/lspsmf1.jpg>
(leaves) and
<http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/factshts/smallfr/lspsmf/blcksd1.jpg>
(fruit)

Links
Late blight fact sheets:
<http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3102.html>  and <http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Potato_LateBlt.htm>
Early blight fact sheets:
<http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Potato_EarlyBlt.htm>,
<http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/450/450-708/450-708.html>, and <http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3101.html>
Bacterial leaf spot of tomato and capsicum information:
<http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Tomato_Bacterial.htm>,
<http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Pepper_BactSpot.htm>,
and
<http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/horticulture/3010.html>
Genus _Xanthomonas_ taxonomy and species list:
<http://www.bacterio.cict.fr/xz/xanthomonas.html>
Information on strawberry leaf spot:
<http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/lspsmf.shtml>  and
<http://plant-disease.ippc.orst.edu/disease.cfm?RecordID=1041>
Taxonomy and synonyms for all fungal pathogens via:
<http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/Names.asp>.  - Mod.DHA]