Root Rot Disease of Cotton and its Management

Abstract

The root rot caused by Rhizoctonia bataticola (Taub) Butler and Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn is one of the most seroius diseases of cotton particularly in the northern region of India where around 1.8 m. hectare area exists in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. The disease affects both, the hirsutum and arboreum cotton species being more serious on latter grown in the region. The disease first appears in June and becomes vigorous during July. In August, the attack slows down and almost ceases by the end of September. The damage due to root rot has not has not been assessed systematically. However, Vasudeva while studying root rot in Punjab province (undivided India) as early as in the year 1935 had put the average loss at about 2.5%. If calculations are carried out on this basis taking 12.5 quintal seed cotton as average yield per hectare of the region and Rs.1750 as the prevailing price of each quintal seed cotton, around Rs. 1000 m. is lost due to this important disease.