Evaluation of different management practices against yellow Sigatoka disease of banana (Musa spp.) caused by Mycosphaerella musicola Leach

Leaf spot or yellow sigatoka disease (caused by Mycosphaerella musicola) of banana causes significant yield loss as well as in quality of fruits in every year and reported up to 65% or even more under favorable epidemic conditions. In this perspective, an experiment was conducted at ZBNF project Research field, college of horticulture, Sirsi (Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka) for consecutive two seasons (2020-21 & 2021-22). Experiment accompanied with RBD statistical design with five replications and four treatments. Four different management practices involving viz. Propiconazole 25EC @ 0.1% (Recommended package of practices-UHS, Bagalkot), Trichoderma harzianum 10g/lit. (Organic farming), sour butter milk 5 lit. per 200 liter of water (Natural farming) and Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25% WG @0.5gm/lit. (Chemical farming) were evaluated against sigatoka leaf spot disease. Among the management practices, chemical farming comprises tebuconazole 50%+ trifloxystrobin 25%WG@1gm/lit was found effective in managing the disease (12.38% PDI) followed by recommended package of practice comprises propiconazole 25%EC @1ml/l (16.33% PDI), organic farming comprises of talk-based Trichoderma harzianum 10g/lit (17.33% PDI). Natural farming showed least effective to combat disease recorded maximum disease severity (19.66% PDI) after 210 days after planting. Although chemical farming can effectively control the disease but results in the serious risk on human health and environmental hazards. Therefore, organic and natural farming are an alternative approach that are eco-friendly and economically viable against sigatoka leaf spot disease management.