PJB-2023-231
Monitoring of Pomegranate fruit rot disease in District Gilgit Pakistan, and Its Vitro Management
NAZAKAT HUSSAIN
Abstract
Pomegranate fruit rot disease sometimes referred to as "heart rot" or "black heart," is a serious disease that affects pomegranate production in Gilgit Baltistan (GB). Black rot of the fruit core that spreads from the calyx region is a defining feature of heart rot, but the outer peel and the hard rind continue to seem healthy. Several varieties of pomegranate fruit such as Sweet, Doom, Sour, and Kandhari are found in different localities of GB. Among these varieties, the sweet variety locally known as isakolii is widely affected by fruit rot. The present study aimed to identify major causal agent which causes pomegranate fruit rot disease in the district Gilgit and to manage the disease in-vitro conditions. Although many fungal species belong to genera, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Botrytis, and Rhizopus, have been isolated from pomegranate fruits, however Aspergillus niger was the primary causal agent of fruit rot. In this study, two methods were employed to manage fruit rot: biological control using Trichoderma harzanium in dual culture technique, resulting in a 60% inhibition of the fungus after seven days, and chemical control using food poisoning technique in dual culture method. The growth inhibition % on day seven was calculated as 27 ± 4.05, indicating the effectiveness of Tebuconazole 25.9 WP, which showed a decrease over time to inhibit the Aspergillus niger. The growth inhibition % for the Thiophanate Methyl treatment was calculated as 15.923 ± 3.27 after seven days. The study provides important primary information regarding the prevalence of fungal disease infections in Gilgit and can help guide future studies toward mitigating fungal disease epidemics.
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