Integrated management of post-monsoon yellowing of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) incited by Pythium deliense

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Post-monsoon yellowing, incited by Pythium deliense, has recently emerged as a major threat to black pepper cultivation tracts in Kerala and Karnataka. To manage the disease, a field trial based on an integrated management approach was conducted from 2018 to 2020. Initial in vitro and greenhouse evaluation studies revealed that fenamidone-mancozeb inhibited the pathogen and was compatible with the bioagents viz., Trichoderma asperellum and Streptomyces albulus. Combined application of T. asperellum as soil drench and fenamidone-mancozeb as foliar spray (1500 ppm) reduced the severity of yellowing from 78.8% to 21.67%, with a reduction of 72.33% and reduced the pathogen load in the soil from 32 to 2 disease potential index (DPI). The present study reports the efficacy of the combined application of T. asperellum and fenamidone-mancozeb as an integrated management strategy against post-monsoon yellowing incited by P. deliense in black pepper.