Effectiveness of Azoxystrobin in the Control of Erysiphe Cichoracearum and Pseudoperonospora Cubensis on Cucumber

Effectiveness of Azoxystrobin in the Control ofErysiphe CichoracearumandPseudoperonospora Cubensison Cucumber The bioefficacy of azoxystrobin (Amistar 25 SC) was tested against cucumber downy mildew and powdery mildew diseases. The two season trials of field studies revealed that the disease progression of cucumber downy mildew and powdery mildew was successfully arrested by azoxystrobin. Spraying of azoxystrobin at various doses (31.25, 62.50 and 125g a.s./ha) revealed that 125 g a.s./ha (500 ml/ha) was considered as the optimum dose for the control of these diseases of cucumber. The treatment also recorded the highest yield of 13.23 and 14.46 tonnes/ha in the first and second season, respectively. No phytotoxic effect of azoxystrobin was observed in the both field trials even at four times of the recommended dose 125 g a.s./ha. The persistence of azoxystrobin at 250 and 500 g a.s./ha was observed up to seven days after last spraying. However, the persistence of azoxystrobin at 31.25, 62.50 and 125 a.s./ha was observed up to three to five days after last spraying. The safe waiting period for the harvest of cucumber fruits was 1.53 days in the first field trial and 2.37 days in the second field trial, respectively at azoxystrobin 125 g a.s./ha. The residues of azoxystrobin were at below detectable level (BDL) in the harvested cucumber fruits.