Volume : 5, Issue : 1, January - 2016

Rhizoctonia bataticola (Taub.) Butler. is a serious pathogen causing root rot disease in smooth gourd

Rashmi Varma, Vishnu Kumar

Abstract :

<p>120 seed samples of smooth gourd collected from seven areas namely Bagoan, Dadhevi, Ratkankara, Kalatalo, Mandana, Nanta and Ranpur of Kota district of Rajasthan were studied. In dry seed examination occurrence of variously discolored seeds, own discoloured seeds, black discoloured seeds, white discoloured seeds, small seeds, shriveled seeds and insect damaged seeds. 08 Seed samples from Bargoan (15.25%) and Mandana 38 (32.75%) carried higher frequency of Rhizoctonia bataticola causing root rot disease in smooth gourd. Component planting, whole-mount preparations and microtome sections confirmed its presence in different parts of the seed. Infection was confined only in seed coat region of asymptomatic seeds whereas in symptomatic seeds infection was dense and deep-seated and showed thick and knotty mycelium and microsclerotia in various parts of spermoderm (seed coat), aleurone layer, cotyledons and emyonal axis. Heavily infected seeds showed varying degree of withering and loosening of palisade layer. Heavily infected seeds did not germinate. Dry seed inspection, incubation tests and histopathological studies clearly showed the seed borne nature of Rhizoctonia bataticola. Control of Rhizoctonia bataticola caused root rot begins by planting certified seeds and avoiding overhead irrigation and watering through drip lines.</p>