Brinjal is commonly known as eggplant it is a well-loved vegetable crop valued for both its nutrition and taste. However, similar to other crops, brinjal is prone to many diseases that can harm its productivity and overall quality. There are several brinjal crop diseases and their management is necessary.
Diseases that affect brinjal crop can significantly impact the market value of this vegetable if not managed promptly, causing financial losses for farmers. Therefore, it’s crucial to identify the main diseases affecting brinjal and treat them in a timely manner.”
Diseases can severely harm brinjal crop. Excessive soil moisture, moderate temperatures, and high humidity, particularly during the rainy season, foster the disease.
Brinjal Crop Diseases and Their Management
Whenever famers grow brinjal in their fields several diseases affect this important vegetable crop, reduces yield and quality, resulting loss to growers. There are many brinjal crop diseases, management and prevention of these diseases is necessary to get good yield, quality and market value.
Bacterial Wilt
Bacterial wilt, caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum bacterium, is a widespread disease in warmer regions across the globe. It poses a significant challenge to crop production.
The disease can manifest at any growth stage of brinjal, from seedling to full maturity. However, it tends to affect plants most during the early flowering and fruiting phases.
Pseudomonas solanacearum invades the plant’s tissues, obstructing the flow of food and water this leads to the plant wilting and eventually dying.
Wilt Symptoms
- The disease symptoms include wilting, stunted growth, yellowing foliage, and eventual collapse of the entire plant.
- Typically, lower leaves begin to droop before occurrence of wilting.
- The plant’s vascular system turns brown.
- Affected parts exude bacterial ooze.
- Wilting symptoms may appear on plants at noon will recover at night but eventually die.
Managing Bacterial Wilt in Brinjal
- Opt for disease-resistant seeds like IRIS Hybrid Brinjal Vinayak, Samrat, or Utsav brinjal.
- Rotating crop with non-host plants like cereals and crucifers such as cauliflower and avoid rotating crops with okra, tomato, or potato.
- Remove and dispose of infected plants.
- Introduce organic manures like Farm Yard Manure (FYM) into the soil during the flowering stage, which can aid in reducing pathogen population.
- Given the disease’s association with root knot nematodes, consider intercropping or rotating with marigold to manage it effectively.
Damping off in Brinjal
Damping off is a prevalent plant ailment caused by various soil-borne fungi and similar organisms like Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium. These invaders target seedlings, causing them to collapse and decay, a condition known as “damping off.”
This disease often strikes during the early growth stages, both before and after seedling emergence. It thrives in humid, moist conditions and is exacerbated by inadequate soil drainage and high soil temperatures.
Damping off affected seedlings either struggle to emerge or collapse and die shortly after sprouting. The stems often display a dark, withered section near the soil line.
Damping-Off Symptoms
- Sudden collapse of seedlings in the seedbed.
- Poor or weak germination of seeds.
- Seedlings may wilt and appear feeble even before emerging from the soil.
- The lower stems of seedlings may exhibit a dark, shriveled portion at the soil line.
- The collar region of seedlings may seem water-soaked and slimy near the soil line, causing them to fall over and perish.
- Root discoloration and decay may also be observed.
Managing Damping-Off
- Opt for healthy seeds for sowing.
- Treat seeds with Trichoderma asperellum at a rate of 4 g/kg or Pseudomonas fluorescens at a rate of 10 g/kg of seeds 24 hours prior to sowing.
- Apply P. fluorescens to the soil at 2.5 kg/ha along with 50 kg of FYM (Farm Yard Manure).
- Ensure proper soil drainage and avoid over-watering
- Implement intercropping with marigold at a 4:1 ratio.
- Refrain from continuously using the same plot for nursery raising.
Also Read: Viral Wilt Tomato Disease and Its Impacts
Cercospora Leaf Spot
Cercospora Leaf Spot disease is a common fungal disease in brinjal (eggplant), this disease weakens plants and lowers yields by causing infected leaves to drop prematurely.
This leaf spot disease is caused by the plant-pathogenic fungus, Cercospora melongenae, and is favored by leaf wetness and high humidity. Initially, symptoms manifest on the older, lower leaves, eventually spreading to younger leaves and stems if left unchecked.
Severely affected leaves exhibit chlorotic lesions with an angular to irregular shape, later turning grayish-brown with abundant spores at the spot’s centre. This premature leaf drop diminishes fruit yield, although brinjal fruit is not infected but the disease reduces the plant growth.
Symptoms
- Leaf spots show yellowish lesions, often with uneven and angular shapes.
- Leaves eventually turn grayish-brown, with abundant spores at the center of the spots.
- Severely affected leaves drop off early, leading to reduced fruit yield.
- Fruits on the brinjal plant are seldom affected.
- Fungus spores develop on the leaf’s underside.
Cercospora Leaf Spot Management
- Test different brinjal plant varieties for disease tolerance.
- Control weeds to reduce humidity within the eggplant canopy.
- Implement a protective fungicide spray program aligned with cultural practices to minimize Cercospora Leaf Spot impact.
- Opt for morning irrigation to reduce overnight humidity.
- Avoid excessive watering to minimize relative humidity.
- Refrain from overhead sprinkler irrigation to reduce leaf wetness and curb pathogen spread through water droplets.
- Use effective fungicides like 1% Bordeaux mixture, 2g Copper oxychloride, or 2.5g Zineb per liter of water for spot control.
Fungal Wilt in Brinjal
Fungal wilt diseases, such as Verticillium and Fusarium wilt, are caused by soil-borne fungi, namely Verticillium dahliae and Fusarium oxysporum.
Fusarium wilt is affecting crops like potato, tomato, brinjal, and pepper. The disease enters through the roots and disrupt the plant’s water-conducting vessels. As the infection spreads to the stems and leaves, it hampers water flow, resulting in wilting and yellowing of the foliage.
Early-season infections can severely stunt the plant, causing small leaves turn yellow-green. Eventually, dried leaves and shriveled fruits remain on the plant, which ultimately die.
Symptoms of Fungal Wilt
- In Fusarium wilt, underground stems dry and turn brown due to cortical decay, while roots may appear soft and water-soaked.
- The top part of the plant droops.
- Wilting and yellowing of leaves commence from the lower leaves and advance upwards.
- Infected leaves show irregularly scattered necrotic pale-yellow spots, which later turn brown and merge, leading to complete wilting.
- Cutting roots and stems diagonally may reveal reddish-brown streaks in vascular tissues.
- Affected plants are severely stunted in growth and may produce fewer or no fruits.
Management for Fungal Wilt
- Avoid crop rotation with potato, bhendi, or tomato
- Apply Benlate (0.1%) through soil and foliage.
- Refrain from planting brinjal or other susceptible plants in the same field for at least three years.
- Handle roots carefully to avoid damage while working in the field.
- Maintain field cleanliness and sanitation.
- Ensure adequate nutrient supply to boost plant growth and disease resistance.
Collar Rot
Collar Rot is a fungal disease primarily affecting the stems with other plant parts susceptible under favorable conditions, the disease is caused by the fungus Sclerotium rolfsii.
The fungus grows swiftly over plant tissue and surrounding soil, creating a white, fluffy fungal mat with distinctive roundish, tan to brown colouring. The stem tissues of the plant turn pale brown and soft, but not watery. In some cases, the stem may be entirely encircled, leading to wilting and yellowing of leaves.
Affected plants may bend or die, resulting in entire rows or large patches of dead plants within the field. Seedlings are highly vulnerable and perish rapidly upon infection.
Symptoms
- The lower stem portion is affected by soil-borne inoculum (sclerotia).
- Primary symptom of the disease is decortication
- The disease occasionally takes a severe form.
- Exposure and necrosis of underlying tissues may cause the plant to collapse.
- On the stem near the ground surface, mycelia and sclerotia may be visible.
- Factors such as lack of plant vigor, water accumulation around the stem, and mechanical injuries contribute to the disease’s development.
Collar Rot Management
- Ensure the use of healthy seeds from a certified source.
- If available, opt for resistant varieties and plant them in land with no prior disease history.
- Treat seeds with 4g of Trichoderma viride formulation per kg of seed to reduce the disease incidence.
- Apply spraying with Mancozeb at 2g per liter of water.
- Planting late may aid in reducing disease incidence.
- Maintain weed-free fields.
- Regularly monitor your fields for symptoms at least once a week.
Conclusion
Brinjal (Eggplant) scientifically called “Solanum melongena” is a commonly cultivated vegetable worldwide, notably in the Indian sub-continent. It is highly susceptible to extensive infestations by various fungi and bacteria, leading to ailments like wilt, soft rot, and root rot.
The intensity of a specific disease varies based on the season and the geographical location where the crop is cultivated. Some diseases have caused significant harm only in uncommon years, while a handful are widespread annually, resulting in different degrees of harm.
As there are several brinjal crop diseases and their management is necessary for the growers to get good yield and quality. Several methods such as crop rotation, resistant varieties, disease free seeds, chemical treatment can help to prevent diseases and pest attack in this important crop.
