Disease Management in Chilli Crop using UAL Organic Based Products

Chilli originated in South America but India is the world’s top producer, consumer, and exporter of chillies. Other major chili-producing countries are China, Thailand, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. Chili plants are affected by various diseases, such as Damping off, Cercospora leaf spot, Powdery Mildew, Choanephora Blight, Anthracnose, Fusarium wilt and Leaf curl virus. Biopesticides are more preferable than chemical or synthetic pesticides, as they are less harmful to humans and the environment. The main benefits of biopesticides in managing agricultural pests and diseases are their selectivity and eco-friendliness.

List of Diseases

1. Damping off
2. Cercospora leaf spot
3. Powdery Mildew
4. Choanephora Blight
5. Anthracnose
6. Fusarium wilt
7. Leaf curl virus

1. Damping off

Scientific name: Pythium aphanidermatum

Most Affected Plant Part: Seeds and seedlings

Symptoms of Damping Off

• Pre-emergent damping off: Before the emergence of seedling, sown seed gets rotten and fails to emerge.
• Post-emergent Damping off: In the nursery seedlings start rotting due to infection, lodging of seedling and die. Affected seedlings are seen light brown in color. The mycelium is hyaline and aseptate, with a width of 5 microns.

Control Measures (Biological)

Prophylactic

Curative

2. Cercospora leaf spot

Scientific name: Cercospora capsici

Most Affected Plant Part: Leaves

Symptoms of Cercospora leaf spot

• Leaf lesions are typically circular, brown, and have dark brown margins and small to big centers of light grey color.
• The lesions may enlarge to 1 cm or more in diameter and occasionally coalesce.
• Stem, petiole, and pod lesions similarly have light grey centers with dark margins, but they are usually elliptical.
• Severely infected leaves drop off prematurely, resulting in lower yield.

Control Measures (Biological)

Prophylactic

Curative

3. Powdery mildew

Scientific name: Leveillula taurica

Most Affected Plant Part: Leaves

Symptoms of Powdery mildew

• White powdery mycelia growth can be seen on the lower side of leaves, chlorotic spots on the corresponding upper surface.
• At sever infection shedding of premature foliage

Control Measures (Biological)

Prophylactic

Curative

4. Choanephora Blight

Scientific name: Choanephora cucurbitarum

Most Affected Plant Part: Leaves flowers and fruits

Symptoms of Choanephora blight

• On apical growth points, flowers, and fruits, symptoms are evident. Initially, the apical growth tips become blighted, and water-soaked spots appear on the leaves.
• Eventually, dieback is caused by the fungus’s quick downward growth.
• On certain lesions, there is visible dark-gray fungal growth.
• Dark spores and silvery, spine-like fungal structures will become visible under close observation.
• Phytophthora Blight symptoms in seedlings might be confused with similar signs.
• In fruit, a black soft rot can also form.

Control Measures (Biological)

Prophylactic

Curative

5. Anthracnose disease

Scientific name: Colletotrichum capsici

Most Affected Plant Part: Fruits

Symptoms of Anthracnose

• Fungi infect ripe fruits that turn red.
• A tiny, round, black lesion appears on the fruit’s skin.
• Fruits with severe infections lose their pungency and turn straw or pale white in color.
• When cut open the infected fruits can observe tiny, raised sclerotia on bottom surface fruit skin
• In advanced infection, seeds turn to rusty color and are covered with mat of fungal hyphae.

Control Measures (Biological)

Preventive / Prophylactic – Xymo Bioguard WLT 6040 + Zymo Max Spread

Curative – Xymo Biologique + Xymo Bioguard WLT 6040 + Zymo Max Spread

Note : Each Spray at every 5 – 7 days interval

Prophylactic

Curative

6. Fusarium wilt

Scientific name: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.capsici

Most Affected Plant Part: Leaves and stem

Symptoms of Fusarium wilt

• The plant wilts and its leaves will roll inward and upward when Fusarium infected the plant. The leaves wither and turn yellow.
• When above-ground symptoms become noticeable, the plant’s vascular system is discolored, especially in the lower stem and roots.
• The disease is initially characterized by a slight yellowing of the foliage and wilting of the upper leaves that progresses into a permanent wilt with the leaves still attached in a few days.
• The plant’s vascular system becomes discolored by the time symptoms above ground become noticeable, especially in the lower stem and roots.

Control Measures (Biological)

Prophylactic

Curative

7. Leaf curl virus disease

Scientific name: Leaf curl virus

Most Affected Plant Part: Leaves and flowers

Symptoms of Leaf curl

• Reduce leaf size and curl toward the midrib.
• Plant growth stopped as a result of shortened internodes.
• Whiteflies are typically the means of virus transmission. Therefore, reducing whitefly populations in this area would be beneficial.

Control Measures (Biological)

Prophylactic

Curative

Products

Biopesticides are substances that can prevent chilli diseases and protect the environment. For a long time, synthetic pesticides have been the main method of disease control in crop production, but they have harmed the environment and caused crops to become resistant to pesticides. It is clear that biopesticides are a better option to deal with both the environment and plant diseases. Biopesticides have the great ability to either eliminate the need for synthetic pesticides or reduce their use and cost. Biopesticides include natural organisms and their products, biocontrol agents, essential oils, plant extracts, and nano-biopesticides, which are all used to manage plant diseases.

•   Zymo Bioguard WLT6040
•   Zymo Biologique
•   Xymo BLT100
•   Xymo Thymox
•   Xymo Ultra Spectrum
•   Xymo Biofert 
•   Zymo Max Spread

1. Zymo Bioguard WLT6040: The product is available in powder form and it contains NON-GMO Biologicals, Proteolytic Biocatalysts, Stabilizers, Bioenhancers.

• Increases soil aerobic microbes in root zone with adequate nutrients & denies food for anaerobic pathogens finally induces SAR.
• Seedling root dip with Zymo Bioguard WLT6040  is recommended for Damping off of Chilli at the rate of  2g/lit before incidence of disease.
• Zymo Bioguard WLT6040  + Xymo Biologique is applied as curative when the disease is severe, repeated 3-4 times at 5-7 days interval against Damping off, PM and Choanephora blight.

2. Zymo Biologique : This is available in powder form and it contains Organominerals, Macronutrients, Stabilizer.

• Zymo Biologique is a broad spectrum organic mineral fungi controlling agent and it can increase the fertility of the soil.
• Bio organic extracts and natural minerals used in combinations helps in controlling plant fungus and improve immunity of the plant to fight against Powdery Mildew disease of Chilli
• Zymo Biologique + Xymo Max Spread sprayed as a preventive measure whereas Zymo Biologique + Xymo BLT 100 + Zymo Max Spread is applied as a curative measure.  When disease is severe take a second spray at a 5-7 days interval.
• Recommended dosage is 2-3g/lit.

3. Xymo BLT100 : This is available in powder form and it contains NON-GMO biologicals, lysing biocatalysts, stabilizers and bioenhancers.

• This is a broad spectrum bio-agents, which is recommended for Early blight, Late blight and Septoria leaf spot diseases of tomato.
• Xymo BLT 100 + Zymo Max Spread is sprayed as a preventive measure against Cercospora spot, Choanephora blight, Anthracnose and Fusarium wilt. With these two biopesticides Zymo Bioguard is sprayed as a curative spray for the same diseases and PM.
• Xymo BLT 100 + Xymo Thymox are sprayed immediately after the incidence of damping off disease, if the disease is severe take another spray at 5-7 days interval
• Xymo BLT 100 has more significance in management of Chilli diseases, which is applied 2g/lit for effective management of disease

4. Xymo Thymox: It is a concentrated broad spectrum organic fungi & bacteria controlling agent.

• Product contains a selective combination of Botanical extracts concentrate, Plant oils, Stabilizers & Excipients.
• Zymo Thymox is an effective biopesticide against bacterial species, Powdery Mildew and Fusarium wilt diseases.
• Zymo Thymox are sprayed against powdery mildew disease as a preventive measure. 

5. Xymo Ultra Spectrum: This is available in liquid formation,  which is a combination of Botanical extracts / Plant oils, Stabilizers & Excipients.

• Plant extracts present in it increase plant SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance). This bio pesticide is recommended for all crops against worms.
• It mainly targets the larval stage of insects. Paralyze the nervous system of insects and hampers movement/flying and feeding.
• Xymo Bugtrol + Xymo Ultra Spectrum + Zymo Max Spread has to spray as a curative control measure for the management of whiteflies with this can manage leaf curl disease, repeat the same at an interval of 5-7 days when the infestation is severe.

6. Xymo Biofert: This is a micronutrient which is available in powder form. The Product contains Biostimulants, Soil Conditioners, Bio-based Minerals. 

• Major benefits of Xymo Biofert are, it maximizes seed germination & growth during the plant’s important development phase and increases the CEC of Soil, improves soil health by increasing phosphorus absorption and adsorbing and storing potassium ions.
• This also Stimulates growth and proliferation of desirable soil microbes, algae and yeast
• Xymo Biofert is recommended for growth and development of chilli crops as a nutrient supplement. 

7. Zymo Max Spread: This is available in liquid form, which is helpful for uniform spreading of biopesticide on sprayed area and is a Non-ionic organosilicone & excipient.

• This can also be used for all crops. It breaks down the surface tension of water and increases the wetting and spreading of a spray solution.
• Xymo Max Spread can be used against all diseases of chilli except Damping off of chilli at the rate of 0.10 ml/lit.

Certification: UAL products are also certified by OMRI and ECOCERT, two of the most reputed and recognized certification agencies in the world. UAL manufactures and markets organic bio-solutions under the brand names ZYMO® and XYMO® series. UAL has two manufacturing facilities in India, which are ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, and HACCP certified. ISO 14001:2015 is the international standard for environmental management systems, which ensures that UAL minimizes its environmental impact and improves its environmental performance.