Vol. 11, Issue 9 (2022)

Ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula L.), a fruit vegetable crop has commercially been grown on large scale in India, round the year. However, during recent years the crop has severely been affected by the powdery mildew disease (Erysiphe cichoracearum DC), causing more than 50 per cent yield losses. Though, the disease can be managed with various conventional fungicides, but new generation chemical molecules need to be assessed for their efficacy against the disease.

The results revealed that the test fungicides resulted with significant reductions in powdery mildew incidence as well as severity and significantly maximum fruit yield, over unsprayed control. However, Hexaconazole 5% EC @ 0.05% resulted with significantly least mean powdery mildew incidence (13.03%) and intensity (7.02%) with significantly highest reduction of mean disease incidence (76.40%) and intensity (58.76%). The second-best fungicide was Propiconazole 25% EC @ 0.1% with second minimum mean disease incidence (16.14%,) and intensity (8.74%) and corresponding second highest reduction of mean disease incidence (70.17%) and intensity (82.54%). In the order of merit rest of the test fungicides were Difenconazole 25% EC @ 0.1% > Dinocap 48% EC @ 0.2% > Carbendazim 50% WP @ 0.1%. Based on cumulative fruit yield and ICBR, the most effective and economical fungicide found was Hexaconazole 5% EC @ 0.05% with significantly highest fruit yield (161.17 q./ha.) and highest ICBR (4.37), followed by Propiconazole 25% EC @ 0.1% (141.72 q/ha and 3.75, respectively) and Difenconazole 25% EC @ 0.1% (118.28 q/ha and 2.81,respectively).