Fungicidal management of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.) causing cashew anthracnose

Cashew is infected by more than 20 diseases worldwide. Among the diseases, anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Penz.), perfect stage Glomerella cingulata (Ston.) Spauld. & Schrenk is a serious menace in cultivation of cashew causing economic loss in Odisha. The present investigation was carried out with an objective to study the efficacy of new fungicides available in the market in in – vitro condition. Twelve fungicides such as azoxystrobin, tebuconazole, azoxystrobin + tebuconazole, Mancozeb, Azoxystrobin + Mancozeb, Hexaconazole, Zineb, Hexaconazole + Zineb, Difenoconazole, Pyrachlostrobin, Tebuconazole + Trifloxystrobin, Cupper hydroxide were evaluated at the concentration of 0.1%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.1%,0.25%, 0.2%, 0.05%,0.1%, 0.06% and 0.2% respectively. It has been found that mancozeb recorded maximum mycelia growth inhibition of 96.33% followed by Azoxystrobin+Mancozeb (96.17%). Tebuconazole alone recorded 94.56% growth inhibition but combination of Azoxystrobin + Tebuconazole recorded 93.22% growth inhibition. Similarly Zineb alone inhibited 95.46% but in combination with hexaconazole recorded 94.5% of growth inhibition. The combination of fungicides proved less effective as compared to sole fungicides. Further, the effectiveness of new fungicides may be tested under field condition against cashew anthracnose.