Pakistan is among the top 15 citrus producing countries in the world, with an area of 199,000 ha and 19.7 MT annual citrus production. In 2014, a survey was conducted in three major citrus growing areas (Sargodha, Khushab and Bhalwal) of Punjab province, where 94% of Pakistan’s citrus production is concentrated (Tahir, 2014). Severe dieback was observed in orchards, resulting in 40% yield losses. Dead twigs of Citrus reticulata cv. Kinnow produced small black pustules. Other symptoms included leaf chlorosis that eventually affected the whole plant. Samples were collected from twigs of symptomatic plants with more than 40% canopy infection from different orchards. Short segments encompassing lesion margins were excised, surface-sterilized with 70% ethanol, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 30 ± 1°C for 3 days with 12 h alternate light and dark cycle. Two different fungal morphotypes were recovered in a 2:1 frequency ratio. To obtain pure cultures, hyphal tips were transferred onto fres...

In peaches, post-harvest losses occur due to injury during mishandling, storage, processing, and transportation, especially caused by pathogen infections that result in the reduction of quantity, quality, and market value of agricultural commodities. Numerous postharvest pathogens attack peaches, especially Botrytis cinerea, which causes grey mold disease, resulting in losses of about $10 billion globally. The current paper reports the results of a study that investigated the occurrence of different fungi and the effect of different essential oils on mold growth in five peach cultivars. The study found that Penicillium expansum, Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus flavus, and A. niger had different preferences and distributions among the cultivars. The study also found that Florida King 6-A was resistant to B. cinerea, while Early Gold was highly susceptible. The study also found that cinnamon oil was the most effective essential oil in controlling mold growth in Florida King 6-A, while sesame oil was the least effective in Early Grand. The study also found that clove bud oil at 100% concentration had the highest antifungal potency among the tested essential oils and that different concentrations of essential oils were required for different cultivars. These findings highlight the varying levels of susceptibility among peach cultivars to fungal pathogens and the varying degrees of effectiveness associated with different essential oils in mitigating fungal growth. Such insights are invaluable for agricultural practices aiming to protect peach crops from fungal infections and optimize yield.

This study investigates fungal leaf spots of palm, an ever-present threat to the nursery and floriculture industry. Fungicides, plant hormones, and biological agents were used to consider their implications for Pestalotiopsis leaf spot disease management in palms. A survey of different locations in Pakistan’s Kasur and Faisalabad districts was conducted, collecting data on disease incidence of debilitating leaf spot disease in Roystonea regia (royal palm) and Ravenea rivularis (ravenea palm). Pathogenicity tests were performed on healthy seedlings using Pestalotiopsis sp. The results indicate that the fungicide Flumax with 86.11% growth inhibition of the pathogenic fungus and the biological agent Trichoderma asperellum with 76% growth inhibition have a significant impact in suppressing pathogen growth. Compared with the fungicide or salicylic acid (SA) application alone, the combined application of SA with 50% less fungicide (Flumax) in an integrated program significantly reduced disease severity to 5.9 and 6.2% in royal and ravenea palms, respectively. Our findings highlighted that integrated disease management (IDM) could be crucial in addressing Pestalotiopsis leaf spot disease. Adapting to IDM can improve the aesthetic value and profitability of palms by allowing a reduction in fungicide use while maintaining effective control of the disease.

Rice blast disease, caused by Pyricularia oryzae, is one of the most destructive and devastating fungal diseases affecting rice crops. Traditionally, the disease is managed through host resistance and the application of fungicides; however, the latter approach is environmentally toxic and not always feasible. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various nutrients, both individually and in combination, for disease control. Greenhouse experiments were conducted over two consecutive years, 2019 and 2020, to assess three nutrients and their combinations against rice blast disease. The nutrient combinations of potash (20g/L) and silicon (1g/L) resulted in disease incidence reductions of 79.38% and 78.76%, respectively, compared to the application of Nativo, which achieved slightly higher reductions of 82.38% and 80.76%. Among the zinc treatments and its combinations, zinc (2g/L) and silicon (1g/L) showed disease reductions of 72.39% and 73.4% in 2021 and 202, respectively. In 2019, the combination treatment of potash (20g/L) and silicon (1g/L) yielded the highest plant height (120.03 cm), number of tillers (23.01), panicle length (28.93 cm), and number of grains per panicle (128.19). In 2020, the same treatment resulted in the highest plant height (122.61 cm), number of tillers (17.23), panicle length (28.31 cm), and number of grains per panicle (122.61). The overall results of this study suggest that the application of alternative disease management strategies not only reduces the use of chemicals but also lowers the risk of residual effects on paddy grains, thereby enhancing the export potential of paddy.