LUDHIANA,
Karnal bunt (KB), a fungal disease of wheat, is known to partially transform the wheat gains into black mass of fungal spores. The disease perpetuates through seed as well as soil. Giving this information, Dr P.S. Sekhon Head, Department of Plant Pathology, PAU, said that during the last year, the disease appeared in low to moderate form in all the districts of the state. The number of Karnal bunt infected samples were high in the districts of Mohali, Ropar, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar and Fatehgarh Sahib, he revealed. So there is enough inoculum present in the fields for the infection of the wheat crop under cultivation, he added. Dr Sekhon further said that in all the wheat varieties except HD 3086, heading stage appears after 90-92 days of sowing which is ideal for the infection of the disease. Spore of fungus laying at soil surface germinates and produces infection threads which infect the young florets more severely, he added. The prevailing weather conditions due to cloudiness and intermittent rains in the past have led to high humidity and favourable temperature in the atmosphere which is conducive for the infection of Karnal Bunt, he cautioned. Dr Sekhon appealed to the farmers that heading is ideal stage to spray the crop with Tilt 25 EC or Folicur 25 EC @ 200 ml in 200 litres of water per acre in order to raise disease free healthy seed crop. He further clarified that when complete ear emergence has occurred, then efficacy of recommended spray is very poor.

Dr Sekhon also told that the performance of newly recommended PAU varieties namely PBW 725, PBW 667 and HD 3087 is very good and during the last season, they gave 2-3 quintal more yield than the old variety HD 2967. Therefore, it is the right time when efforts should be made to reduce inoculum load of Karnal bunt on these newly released varieties.