Manage diseases and insect-pests by seed treatment in rabi crops

摘要

Healthy and disease free seed is the key to success in agriculture. Planting disease free, healthy and vigorous seed not only ensures healthy and better crop stand but also increases the crop productivity per unit area. On the other hand, diseased andpoor quality seed leads to early onset of the disease, resulting in reduction in plant population and ultimately, loss in the yield. Many plant pathogens (fungal, bacterial and viral) survive in or on the seed and get disseminated to other disease freeareas. In any integrated disease management (IDM) programme, selection of healthy seed of resistant cultivar is the first and foremost strategy. This strategy helps to delay the onset of the disease even if the pathogen is soil borne in nature. Most of the seed or soil borne diseases can be managed by treating the seed with suitable fungicide. Seed treatment with fungicides involves less expenditure, labour and also keeps the environment free from pollution. Before employing seed treatment, proper understanding regarding mode of survival (seed/soil/air borne) of diseases is must. This article throws light on prevention of attack of insect-pests on seed and seed borne pathogens by treating the seed with insecticides/fungicides in important crops sown during rabi season.