Pl. Dis. Res.

30 (1) : 40-45 ISSN 0970-4914 (Print)

ISSN 2249-8788 (Online)

Prevalence of pre-harvest fruit drop disease of citrus

in Punjab and in vitro evaluation of fungicides against
pathogen
SARBJEET KAUR*, KANCHAN BALA BARDHAN, ANIL KUMAR1 AND T.S. CHAHAL2
Department of Fruit Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141004
1
Punjab Agricultural University Regional Research Station, Abohar-152161
2
Punjab Agricultural University Fruit Research Station, Jalowal and Lesriwal-144303
*E-mail: sarbjeetkaur@pau.edu

ABSTRACT

Pathological fruit drop in citrus is a wide spread disease in Punjab and results in huge economic losses to Kinnow
mandarin growers. The disease was significantly higher during second fortnight of September and first fortnight
of October in Fazilka, Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana districts of Punjab. Two fungal pathogens viz. Colletotrichum
gloeosporioides and Diplodia natalensis were found to be associated with the fruit drop disease. Among the systemic
fungicides, thiophanate methyl (25ppm), tebuconazole (50ppm) and difenconazole (50ppm) resulted in complete
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inhibition of mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides and D. natalensis. Copper hydroxide (200ppm) and zinc
dimethyl dithiocarbamate (200ppm) were found to be the most effective non-systemic fungicides in completely
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(100%) checking the growth of pathogens.

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Keywords: Pre-harvest fruit drop, citrus, prevalence, fungicides

Citrus cultivation has a major role in the economy
of world and ranks among top three fruits of the world
with respect to area and production. India ranks sixth
amongst the various citrus producing countries in the
world. Punjab state of India is well known for the
production of high quality citrus fruits. Among these
Kinnow mandarin is most preferred cultivar due to
its wider adaptability, high yield and more economic
returns. Among the various pathological constraints,
pre-harvest fruit drop (PFD) is an important disease
and reported to cause huge losses in yield (Naqvi,
2004). The physiological (40-63%) and pathological
(5-25%) fruit drop in Kinnow mandarin is a matter
of great concern (Thind and Kumar, 2008). Disease
appears as brown discoloration near stem and
stylar end of fruits. As the disease progresses, this
discoloration covers whole of the fruit and causes
rotting. Sometimes discoloration remains limited to
stem end only and causes dropping of the fruit without
rotting. In the present investigations, efforts have been
made to record periodical incidence of pathological
fruit drop, to identify the pathogen(s) associated
Received: 04-04-2015
Accepted: 27-05-2015
with the disease and to evaluate the fungicides for
its management.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The periodical incidence of pathological fruit
drop was recorded at three locations viz. Hoshiarpur,
Fazilka and Ludhiana. Ten trees were selected
from each location and observations were taken at
fortnightly interval starting from mid April, 2011 to
mid January, 2012. Fruits showing typical symptoms
of yellowing, browning and rotting near stem-end
or soft watery rot at stem as well as stylar end, were
considered to be infected with the disease. The per
cent fruit drop incidence was calculated by using the
following formula:
Per cent fruit Number of dropped fruits
100
drop = Total number of fruits
Fruits with typical symptoms were collected from
Hoshiarpur, Fazilka and Ludhiana, during the months
of September, October, November and December for
isolations of pathogens associated with the disease.
Efficacy of seven systemic fungicides namely
fosetyl aluminum, carbendazim, hexaconazole,

40
 Pl. Dis. Res. 30 (1)

tebuconazole, thiophanate methyl, difenconazole and and stylar ends, which was leathery in texture and
propiconazole at six different concentrations viz.1 infected area was brown with watery discoloration on
gml-1, 5 gml-1, 10 gml-1, 25 gml-1, 50 gml-1 and surface of rind (Plate 2). In addition to this presence
100 gml-1 and four non-systemic fungicides viz. of mummified fruits (Plate 3) was also recorded.
copper oxychloride, mancozeb, copper hydroxide
The data (Table 1) revealed that maximum fruit
and zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate at six different
drop in Kinnow plantation was recorded at Hoshiapur
concentrations viz. 10 gml-1, 25 gml-1, 50 gml-1,
(189 fruits), followed by Fazilka (169 fruits) and
100 gml-1, 200 gml-1 and 500 gml-1 was tested
Ludhiana (143 fruits) in the growing season of the
in vitro against isolated pathgens Colletotrichum
crop. Significant difference was observed in fruit
gloeosporioides and Diplodia natalensis, through
drop incidence during each month at all the selected
poisoned food technique (Nene and Thapliyal, 1979).
locations. At Hoshiarpur, fruit drop was maximum
Medium devoid of fungicides served as control.
from July to November. It was significantly higher
Each treatment was replicated thrice. The inoculated
from 15 th to 30 th September. Similar trend was
Petriplates were incubated at 25+1C for seven days
observed at Fazilka during second fortnight of
and radial colony growth was measured and per cent
September and at Ludhiana also, maximum fruit drop
inhibition in growth was calculated using following
occurred during 15th to 30th September.
formula:
Data also revealed that at all the locations, fruit
Colony growth in control drop started from May and showed increasing trend
Per cent
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Colony growth in test till second fortnight of October, thereafter it showed

growth concentration 100
inhibition declining trend upto second fortnight of January.
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Colony growth in control Highest fruit drop was recorded from 15th September
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2011 to 30th October 2011. Second fortnight of August

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Prevalence of pathological fruit drop in Kinnow
mandarin at different locations
Isolation studies reveaed the presence of
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Diplodia
natalensis. In the fruits infected with C.
gloeosporioides, soft and pliable rot was noticed
only from the stem-end (Plate 1), whereas in D.
natalensis infection, rot was present on both stem
to first fortnight of November seemed very crucial
period as maximum fruit drop occurred . Fruit drop
was significantly higher during September-October
at all the locations.
The results of present study concordated with the
findings of Saini et al. (1997), Rattanpal et al. (2009)
and Kumar et al. (2012) who have reported 45- 88.34
per cent pathological fruit drop in the locations under
study.

Plate 1. Yellowing and browning Plate 2. Rotting and finger like Plate 3.Mummified fruits infected with
near stem-end produced by projections both on stem as well as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides stylar end due to Diplodia natalensis

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 Pl. Dis. Res. 30 (1)

In vitro evaluation of fungicides against C. gml-1, respectively, however at these concentrations

gloeosporioides
Data presented in Table 2 revealed that
thiophanate methyl was significantly better than
other tested fungicides with ED50 value of 0.18
gml-1 as it exhibited 100 per cent growth inhibition
at 25 gml-1. It resulted in 82.1, 85 and 92.7 per
cent inhibition at 1 gml-1, 5 gml-1 and 10 gml-
1
, respectively. Difenconazole with ED50 value of
0.32 gml-1 was the second best fungicide and
highly effective even at 1 gml-1 causing 70.1
per cent inhibition of mycelial growth. It caused
73.0, 79.5 and 89.3 per cent growth inhibition at 5
gml-1, 10 gml-1and 25 gml-1, respectively. Mycelial
growth of the pathogen was completely checked at
50 gml-1 by this fungicide. Tebuconazole with ED50
value of 0.71 gml-1 completely inhibited mycelial
growth at 50 gml -1 . Whereas propiconazole
caused 58.3, 61.2, 68.6 and 80.8 per cent growth
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hexaconazole resulted in 53.8, 59.7, 71.8, 76.8 and
88.4 per cent growth inhibition. Propiconazole at 50
gml-1 and hexaconazole at 100 gml-1 checked the
pathogen growth completely. Carbendazim and fosetyl
aluminium caused complete inhibition of mycelial
growth at 100 gml-1 . Results on the efficacy of
thiophanate methyl, propiconazole , hexaconazole and
carbendazim are in agreement to the earlier findings of
Deshmukh et al. (1999); Sharma and Verma (2007);
Ali et al. (1993) and Ebenegar Subramaniam (1996),
respectively.
Results (Table 3) revealed that copper hydroxide
was significantly better than all other tested non-
systemic fungicides. It induced 73.0, 77.6, 81.7 and
94.2 per cent growth inhibition at 10 gml-1, 25 gml-1,
50 gml-1, 100 gml-1, respectively followed by zinc
dimethyl dithiocarbamate. Mancozeb was found to

be less effective. Complete mycelial growth inhibition

inhibition at 1 gml-1, 5 gml-1, 10 gml-1 and 25 with copper hydroxide, zinc dimethyl dithiocarbamate
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Table 1. Periodical fruit drop in Kinnow mandarin at different locations of Punjab in 2011-12

Date of observation Fruit drop (Number)

Ludhiana Fazilka Hosiarpur
April 15, 2011 0 0 0
April 30 0 0 0
May 15 1 1 1
May 30 1 1 2
June 15 4 4 5
June 30 4 4 6
July 15 5 5 6
July 30 5 6 8
August 15 7 9 10
August 30 8 10 12
September 15 13 19 28
September 30 23 29 32
October 15 19 24 29
October 30 16 20 23
November 15 11 10 13
November 30 8 7 10
December 15 5 7 9
December 30 4 5 6
January 15, 2012 4 5 5
January 30 3 3 5
Total 143 169 189
CD (p=0.05) 0.83 0.74 0.80

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 Pl. Dis. Res. 30 (1)

Table 2. In vitro efficacy of systemic fungicides against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Fungicide Mycelial growth inhibition (%) ED50

1gml -1
5 gml -1
10 gml -1
25 gml -1
50 gml -1
100 gml -1
Mean (gml-1 )
Carbendazim 43.5 52.3 69.2 79.3 86.3 100.0 71.7 3.8
Difenconazole 70.1 73.0 79.5 89.3 100.0 100.0 85.4 <1
Fosetylaluminium 38.1 43.8 65.2 73.7 83.2 100.0 67.3 6.9
Hexaconazole 53.8 59.7 71.8 76.8 88.4 100.0 77.1 <1
Propiconazole 58.3 61.2 68.6 80.8 100.0 100.0 78.1 <1
Tebuconazole 61.9 66.1 75.1 83.3 100.0 100.0 81.0 <1
Thiophanate methyl 82.1 85.0 92.7 100.0 100.0 100.0 93.3 <1
Mean 58.2 64.9 74.6 83.2 93.9 100.0
CD (p=0.05): Treatments (T) = 1.8 , Concentrations (C) = 1.7 , T x C = 4.5

Table 3. In vitro efficacy of non-systemic fungicides against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

Fungicide Mycelial growth inhibition (%) ED50

10 gml-1 25 gml-1 50 gml-1 100 200 500 Mean (gml-1)
gml-1 gml-1 gml-1
Copper oxychloride 23.2 28.5 41.3 57.0 61.2 73.3 47.4 86.7
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Mancozeb 47.7 51.0 62.8 75.3 81.1 100.0 69.7 21.1

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Copper hydroxide 73.0 77.6 81.7 94.2 100.0 100.0 87.7 4.3
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Zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate 65.4 70.8 73.1 86.1 100.0 100.0 82.5 7.2
Mean 47.4 57.0 64.7 78.1 85.6 93.3
CD (p=0.05): Treatments (T) = 1.6, Concentrations (C) = 1.9, T X C = 3.9

and mancozeb was recorded at 200, 200 and 500
gml-1 concentrations, respectively with ED50 value of
4.3, 7.2 and 21.1 gml-1 . Hussain et al. (2008) reported
that Mancozeb caused 100 per cent inhibition of C.
gloeosporioides at 300 ppm. Copper oxychloride was
found to be least effective against C. gloeosporioides,
among all the tested fungicides. It was not effective
even at 500 ppm and provided ED50 value of 86.7ppm.
Kumar et al. (2007) tested opper oxychloride against
seven isolates of C. gloeosporiodes and found it
ineffective against all the isolates.
In vitro evaluation of fungicides against Diplodia
natalensis
Data presented in Table 4 indicate that thiophanate
methyl with ED50 value of 0.22 gml-1 was found
significantly better than other systemic fungicides in
inhibiting mycelial growth of D. natalensis followed
by difenconazole, tebuconazole and propiconazole as
these caused complete inhibition of mycelial growth
at 25 and 50 gml-1. Whereas fosetyl aluminium,
hexaconazole and carbendazim caused complete
inhibition of D. natalensis at 100 gml-1 with ED50
values of 8.2, 0.91 and 7.2 gml-1, respectively. Shelar
et al. (1997) and Mahmood et al. (2002) reported
that thiophanate methyl was highly effective against
Botryodiplodia theobromae. Difenconazole caused
66.0, 71.2, 77.5 and 83 per cent growth inhibition at
1, 5, 10 and 25 gml-1 concentrations, respectively
whereas tebuconazole at these concentrations caused
59.4, 64, 70 and 81.2 per cent growth inhibition.
A perusal of data given in Table 5 indicated
that copper hydroxide was found to be significantly
better than other non-systemic fungicides at all
the tested concentrations in inhibiting myelial growth
of the pathogen and resulted in 71.1, 74.1, 78 and
91.2 per cent growth inhibition at 10, 25, 50 and 100
gml-1 followed by zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate.
Whereas copper oxychloride was least effective.
Copper hydroxide, zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate
and mancozeb caused complete inhibition of mycelial
growth at 200, 200 and 500 gml-1 concentrations
with ED 50 value of 4.8, 6.4 and 39.2 gml -1,
respectively. Srivastava and Tandon (1971) tested
efficacy of 10 fungicides against citrus isolates of
B. theobromae and found that Dithane Z-78 was

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 Pl. Dis. Res. 30 (1)

Table 4. In vitro efficacy of systemic fungicides against Diplodia natalensis

Fungicide Mycelial growth inhibition (%) ED50

1 5 10 25 50 100 Mean (gml-1)
gml-1 gml-1 gml-1 gml-1 gml-1 gml-1
Carbendazim 36.2 42.1 58.2 69.4 81.4 100.0 64.5 7.20
Difenconazole 66.0 71.2 77.5 83.0 100.0 100.0 83.0 0.45
Fosetylaluminium 33.0 40.2 53.3 64.1 78.4 100.0 61.5 8.20
Hexaconazole 53.3 57.3 64.2 79.2 92.9 100.0 74.3 0.91
Propiconazole 50.2 54.6 61.3 86.5 100.0 100.0 75.3 0.71
Tebuconazole 59.4 64.0 70.1 81.2 100.0 100.0 79.3 0.59
Thiophanate methyl 79.5 82.5 89.3 100.0 100.0 100.0 91.8 0.22
Mean 54.0 59.0 67.6 80.6 96.0 100.0
CD (p=0.05): Treatments (T) = 1.8, Concentrations (C) = 1.7, T X C = 4.5

Table 5. In vitro efficacy of non-systemicfungicides against Diplodia natalensis

Fungicide Mycelial growth inhibition (%) ED50

10 25 50 100 200 500 Mean (gml-1)
gml-1 gml-1 gml-1 gml-1 gml-1 gml-1
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Copper oxychloride 30.2 42.6 47.6 59.3 68.3 77.9 54.2 67.2
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Mancozeb 42.50 46.6 53.4 67.8 85.9 100.0 65.9 39.2

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Copper hydroxide 71.1 74.1 78.0 91.2 100.0 100.0 85.7 4.8
Zinc dimethyldithiocarbamate 61.00 65.3 72.7 84.3 100.0 100.0 80.5 6.4
Mean 51.0 57.0 62.8 75.6 88.5 94.4
CD (p=0.05): Treatments (T) = 1.3, Concentrations (C) = 1.7, T X C = 3.4

ineffective in controlling the pathogen. Copper
oxychloride was found to be least effective among
all the tested fungicides with highest ED50 value i.e.
67.2 ppm. El Latif et al. (2011) reported that copper
oxychloride was least effective among the tested
fungicides against B. theobromae .
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