Evaluation of different fungicides against Alternaria solani causing early blight disease of potato under in vitro conditions

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a widely cultivated starch crop known for its edible underground storage organ, providing essential nutrients globally. Early blight, caused by the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani can lead to significant yield losses in potato crop, reports indicated that average annual yield losses due to early blight range from approximately 50 per cent to 75 per cent of production. Chemical protection have been a prominent approach in controlling early blight. Under in vitro evaluation fungicides, among non-systemic fungicides, mancozeb 75% WP exhibited the highest mean mycelial growth inhibition at 96.25 per cent, followed by thiram 75% WP with a mean mycelial growth inhibition of 92.51 per cent. Among six systemic fungicides evaluated, hexaconazole 5% EC and tebuconazole 25.9% EC recorded cent per cent mycelial growth inhibition at all four concentrations (0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15%) tested which were significantly superior over rest of fungicides followed by difenconazole 25% EC. Among seven combi product fungicide tested, (captan 70% + hexaconazole 5%) 75% WP showed the mycelial growth inhibition of 100 per cent at all three concentrations tested, significantly over other combi-product fungicides.