My sesame til plants are wilting and drying off, starting from the lower leaves, and at the base the stem and root turn dark brown to black and shred easily with tiny black specks. Dry hot spell. Rajasthan. What is this and how do I manage it?
Wilting and drying from the lower leaves up, with the base and root turning dark brown to black, shredding, and showing tiny black specks, in a dry hot spell, is typical of Macrophomina root rot and stem rot, also called charcoal rot. The fungus survives in soil and residue and attacks hardest when the crop is under heat and moisture stress, so management is about reducing stress and the soil load. Avoid moisture stress at the sensitive stages with light timely irrigation where possible, and avoid an over dense crop. Follow a rotation away from other susceptible crops and remove infected residue. A recommended fungicide or Trichoderma seed treatment at sowing is the main protection, so much of this is a sowing time decision for the next crop. Confirm the disease by checking the shredded root with the black specks and your KVK or Agriculture University, Jodhpur or SKNAU Jobner.
Charcoal rot hits worst in the dry stressed patches of my sandy field. A light irrigation at the critical stage and Trichoderma seed treatment reduced the sudden drying a lot.
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