Strategies for management of fungicide resistance in tomato leaf blight pathogen Alternaria solani in 10 districts of Western Maharashtra in India

Abstract

Development of fungicide resistance in fungal plant pathogen is of great concern for the management of disease and the losses caused by it. The problem of management of fungicidal resistance is aggravated by the development of cross resistance in plant pathogen against the other fungicides applied in the control of the disease. Tomato leaf blight caused by Alternaria solani is an important disease in 10 districts of western Maharashtra in India. To manage this disease, the tomato growers used at least 8 different fungicides, out of which most of these are proved ineffective in one or other districts due to development of fungicidal resistance in the pathogen and further development of cross resistance to other used fungicides. In this scenario, the present paper discusses the strategies for management of fungicide resistance in tomato leaf blight pathogen Alternaria solani in 10 districts of western Maharashtra in India.