Recent Developments in Bacterial Blight of Pomegranate and Its Management

Bacterial blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. punicae) in recent years has become one of the most serious diseases of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) in all the major pomegranate states (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat) of the country resulting in enormous losses to growers. Under epidemic conditions blight resulted in yield losses up to 80 %. Blight pathogen survives in infected plant stems, buds and plant debris in soil up to one year. Apparently healthy planting material may carry the blight pathogen in latent form, particularly in buds, resulting in infection of new plants. Disease was positively and significantly correlated with relative humidity and rainfall and showed nonsignificant correlation with temperatures under Solapur, Maharashtra, conditions. Bacterial blight of pomegranate has been effectively managed by adopting integrated management practices including cultural measures (using healthy and disease-free planting material, applying balanced nutrition to plant and following stringent sanitation measures) and spraying the crop with streptocycline (500 ppm) or bronopol (500 ppm) + copper oxychloride (0.2 %).