Diseases of Sunn hemp - Crotalaria juncea L.

This chapter provides information on diseases of sunn hemp and their symptoms, pathogen characters, epidemiology, and management. The diseases covered are vascular wilt, anthracnose, leaf blight, Choanephora twig blight, sunn hemp mosaic, Southern sunn hemp mosaic, sunn hemp phyllody, and sunn hemp leaf curl. The fungus survives in the soil as well as in crop residues as facultative parasite. It attacks the plant through the thinner roots and rootlets, even through the cracking in the basal portion of the stem occurs. The acervuli are formed in the epidermis of the diseased area on which numerous single celled hyaline condia are formed which spread the disease. The black pinhead like pycnidia is noticed on blighted site on which numerous single celled hyaline condia are formed which spread the disease. White mycelial growth along with black coloured sexual bodies of the fungus is seen on the affected parts from the tip towards petioles.