Turmeric farmers asked to take disease prevention measures :

With incidence of diseases found in patches of turmeric fields in the district and in nearby districts, the farmers have been advised to take preventive measures to control the disease during tuber formation stage.

The scientists at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Sandhiyur, A. Sudha and N. Sriram, said that turmeric is an important commercial spice crop grown in the region. But heavy wind and winter season can damage leaves and affect rhizome development.

Rhizome rot

The turmeric rhizome rot is a major disease in turmeric with a yield reduction of 40 to 60 per cent.

The disease spreads through affected rhizomes and infested soil resulting in collapse of the plant and decay of rhizomes.

Hence the soil should be treated with Trichoderma virie, a fungus and a biofungicide, while the seed rhizomes should be treated with 0.25 per cent copper oxy chloride for 15 minutes.

Also the rot affected rhizomes should be drenched with 0.25 per cent copper oxy chloride, they added. For leaf spot and blotch diseases, foliar spraying should be done, the scientists said. For details contact the KVK office at 0427-2422550.

For leaf spot and blotch diseases, foliar spraying should be done

Source : The Hindu