Occurrence period, severity and management of powdery mildew and rust in jatropha curcas

Abstract

Jatropha curcas L. has been studied with the aim of attending the bioenergy demand in Brazil. In this study, the time of occurrence, the severity, and the control of powdery mildew and rust in a commercial crop were investigated. During the evaluation period, powdery mildew was first observed soon after the onset of the raining period in October. Rust was first observed in April. Metarhizium anisopliae, Azadirachta indica oil, J. curcas oil, and the fungicide triadimenol were efficient in controlling powdery mildew. None of these products nor potassium silicate did control rust.