Stem Rot of Groundnut Incited by Sclerotium Rolfsii Sacc. and it’s Management - A Review

Abstract

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oilseed crop. The low productivity in groundnut is attributed to many production constraints. Among these, biotic factors, particularly diseases play a major role in limiting the yield of groundnut. It is most affected with the pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii sac, which is a soil-borne pathogen and causes disease in different crops including peanut. Biological control is an alternate source by introducing soil borne pathogens, which helps in suppressing the disease. While in combination with biocontrol agents and fungicides for seed treatment, it was effective in suppressing the pathogen, besides reducing the environmental hazards and cost of cultivation. This paper reviews the literature on Sclerotium rolfsii, inducing stem rot disease and its management