Effect of fungicidal seed treatment and foliar sprays on early blight incidence, fruit characters and yield of tomato cv. Pusa Ruby.

The efficacy of fungicidal seed treatments (soaking seeds for 12 h in aqueous solution of 0.1% Bavistin [carbendazim], 0.2% Vitavax [carboxin], 0.2% Baycor [bitertanol], 0.2% thiram, 0.2% Dithane M-45 [mancozeb], and 0.1% Bavistin+0.2% Vitavax) and foliar sprays (0.2% Dithane M-45, 0.2% Baycor, 0.3% Blitox-50, and 0.5% boric acid) on early blight (caused by Alternaria solani) incidence and tomato cv. Pusa Ruby yield was investigated in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Seeds treated with fungicides were sown in the nursery. Fungicide spraying was conducted thrice (i.e. at the time of disease appearance and twice thereafter at 15-day interval) under field conditions. The initial disease appearance in seed-treated plants was observed at 60-69 days after sowing (DAS). The lowest percent disease index and highest percent disease control (PDC) at 177 DAS were recorded for 0.1% Bavistin, 0.1% Bavistin+0.2% Vitavax, 0.2% thiram, and 0.2% Vitavax. The highest average fruit yield (357.46 q/ha) was obtained with 0.2% Bay