Fungal diseases crush hopes of tomato, capsicum growers

Tomato and capsicum growers of Himachal Pradesh have lost some 40 to 60 per cent of their yield to fungal diseases so...

Tomato and capsicum growers of Himachal Pradesh have lost some 40 to 60 per cent of their yield to fungal diseases so far this year. Attacks by buckeye rot, fruit rot and leaf blight diseases on these crops have increased this time owing to relentless rains and warm temperature,

A decrease in supply of tomatoes and capsicum has caused a spurt in their demand and a resultant increase in the prices. While the price of capsicum now hovers around Rs 18 per kilo, that of tomatoes in this peak season is Rs 8 in various markets of the north in the country.

“Heavy rains and increase in diurnal temperature have made the crops vulnerable to attacks of various fungal and bacterial pathogens,” said Dr S K Sharma, Head, Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology of Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni.

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He said that following complaints from farmers, scientists of the varsity visited some of the worst-affected areas and advised the growers to follow a particular spray schedule. They also prescribed measures to prevent further spread of these diseases.

According to the Met department of Parmar varsity, 261.5 mm rain was recorded alone in June this year, which led to waterlogging and high humidity in the fields. Rainfall in the corresponding period in 2006 and 2007 was 87mm and 103.4 mm respectively.

With 280.1 mm rain being recorded in July, experts fear that losses would rise if rains continued for the next couple of days in the lower parts of the state. “The unexpected rains normally affect the growth of plants and lead to leaf defoliation and related diseases in these crops,” said another scientist of the varsity.

A random survey in several parts of Solan, Sirmour and Bilaspur districts revealed that the prevalence of buckeye rot disease, fruit rot and leaf defoliation has caused heavy economic losses to the growers. Buckeye rot mainly occurs when temperature falls during night following heavy rainfall during the daytime. “The impact of these diseases could be reduced to some extent if the growers follow the recommended spray regularly,” said an agriculture expert.

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Distressed over a heavy damage to crops, the farmers of nearby Top-Ki-Ber and Dangri gram panchayats have shot off a letter to the chief minister, urging him to issue directions to agricultural officers and scientists to visit the affected area so that remedial measures could be taken to control the diseases forthwith. They have also urged the CM to carry out a survey to assess the losses.

Red Gold

Tomato, known as “Red Gold” among the farming community of Himachal Pradesh, is grown as a major off-season cash crop in Solan, Sirmour, Bilaspur, Una, Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi districts, Covering over 16,000 hectares of land with an annual production of nearly 4.5 lakh tonnes, cultivation of tomatoes has transformed the economy of farmers, particularly of those living in the mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh.