Ginger and Tumeric Diseases:

Diagnosis & Management

Zelalem MershaAssistant Professor in Plant Pathology

Phone: (804) 524-2694; E-mail: zmersha@vsu.edu

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Koeh-146-no_text.jpg ©Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen

Ginger (Z. officinale) Zingebaraceae Tumeric (Curcuma longa)

Source: http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/10-ways-to-keep-your-garden-healthy.aspx

The invisible Foes

Diagnosis is the science & art of

identifying plant problems

•Case history information,•Signs & symptoms,•Microscopy,•Serological,•Molecular detectiontechniques

The Plant Doctor is IN!

Diagnosis: Putting the pieces of the puzzle together!

Know the host plant and the plant part that is affected

Look for patterns (temporal & spatial)

Check for symptoms & signs

Field diagnosis: dissect, microscopically

or using kits, if available

Ask questions… a lot of them!

When …, Where … , What happened?

Seek for help

https://www.ppws.vt.edu/extension/plant-disease-clinic.html

Plant Diagnostic Skills

©Scot Nelson UH

Specialty Crops Pathology

Major Diseases Oomycetes: water molds• Soft Rot (Pythium spp.)

Bacteria• Bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum) Biovar III & IV

Fungi• Yellows (Fusarium spp.)• Leaf spots

• Phyllosticta zingiberis• Helminthosporium maydis• Septoria zingiberis

• Dry rot (Rhizoctonia solani, R. bataticola)

Nematodes• Root knot (Meloidogyne spp.)• Pratylenchus coffeae

Foliar and Rhizome (Soilborne) Diseases

Specialty Crops Pathology

Phyllosticta leaf spot on ginger (P. zingiberi)

Leaf spot on ginger (Phyllosticta zingiberi)

Sept 21, 2018Disease scouting

Foci

Phyllosticta Leaf spot (P. zingiberi)

• Fungicides: Prochloraz, Tebucunazole, Chlorothalonil, Mancozeb, Captan and Chlorothalonil + Copper … best control and increased yield in Brazil (De Nazareno, 1995).De Nazareno, N.R.X., 1995. Control of yellow leaf spot (Phyllosticta sp.) of ginger with commercial fungicides. Horticultura-Brasileira 13, 142–146.

• Seed rhizome selection and treatment with Carbendazim + Mancozeb or carbendazim (0.25%) before planting

• New foliage of ginger was found highly susceptible than matured leaves.

Note: Trade names used in this presentation are used solely for the purpose of providing specific information. Such use herein is not a guarantee or warranty of the products named and

does not signify that they are approved to the exclusion of others. Do not use any of the products unless registered for the given crop in the state.

Nematode (Root Knot)

Specialty Crops Pathology

Root Knot Nematode ManagementPrevention, Prevention, Prevention

• Planting nematode-resistant lines: particularly for M. incognita

• Planting or intercropping plants such as marigold (Wang et al. 2007) Source:

https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/PD-35.pdf

• Hot water: disinfestation of turmeric rhizomes by hot water of 45°C (113 °F) for 3 hr. in China

(Chen et al. 1986)

• Soil solarization

• Sawdust mulching combined with post-plant nematicide: Nemacur, Oxamyl.

• Biological control: using beneficial fungi, rhizobacteria etc. (Eapen et al. 2008)

• Use of nematicide: e.g. carbofuran at 3kg a.i./ha, neem cake (1 t/ha) followed by

carbofuran (1kg a.i./ha) (Mohanty et al. 1995).

• Integrated Nematode Management

Rhizome- & Soil-borne Diseases: Fusarium yellow wilt

Specialty Crops Pathology

When & Where does Fusarium thrive at best?

Specialty Crops Pathology

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25 °C (77 °F) 20 °C (68 °F)

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Incubation Temperature

Colony growth of Fusarium sp. isolated from Ginger and incubated at 20 or 25 °C for five days

Yellows, Wilts and Dry and Wet RotsPREVENTION PREVENTION PREVENTION

Specialty Crops Pathology

• Seed rhizome selection and treatment: • Select healthy/disease free rhizomes for planting• Treat the seed rhizomes e.g. for soft rot with Mancozeb (0.3%) or carbendazim

(0.3%), also for Fusarium yellow and Pythium soft rot• Rhizome hot water treatment 51 °C (124 °F) for 10 minutes

• Proper drainage in a sandy loam soil: avoid any form of water accumulation. Mounding practice improves drainage.

• Soil solarization: by covering moist soil with transparent polythene film

• Soil drenching: with recommended fungicides

• Biological control: using beneficial fungi (Trichoderma spp.) and bacterial isolates (Bacillus & Pseudomonas flourescens)

• Integrated Rot Disease Management

Disconnect the dots Manage, Make Your Farm Profitable & Sustainable

Connect the dots … Diagnose, ID and be vigilant (time & space)

No single recipe! Get your Toolbox & Pick What Works Best for You!

➢Prabhakaran Nair P. K. 2013. The Diseases of Ginger. In: The Agronomy and Economy of Tumeric and Ginger: The Invaluable Medicinal Spice Crops. Page 409-426. Elsevier Inc.

➢Trujillo E. E. 1964. Diseases of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in Hawaii. Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Hawaii. Available at https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/C2-62.pdf.

➢Drake G. N. 1995. Diseases of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and their management. J. of Spices & Aromatic Crops 4: 40-48.

➢Nageshwar Rao G. T. 1995. Diseases of tumeric (Curcuma longa L.) and their management. J. of Spices & Aromatic Crops 4: 49-56.

➢Singh A. K. 2000. Reaction of ginger germplasm to Phyllosticta zingiberi. Indian Phytopathology 53: 210-212. Available at: https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20001008711.

➢Gorule M. J. and Kamble S. S. 2016. Sensitivity of Phyllosticta zingiberi against carbendazim in causing leaf spot of ginger. Int. J. Adv. Res. 4: 2329-2331.

➢Sood R. 2002. Studies on leaf spot of ginger caused by Phyllosticta zingiberi Ramakr. Ph.D. Dissertation. Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, India.

➢Plant Village. Ginger. Available at https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/ginger/infos/.

➢Vikaspedia. Tumeric: Diseases and Symptoms. Available at https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/ginger/infos/

➢Satyagopal K. et. al. 2014. Agro-Ecosystem Analysis (AESA) based IPM package for ginger. pp 43 .

➢ Rai B. et al. 2017. Morphological and cultural characterization of Phyllosticta zingiberi (Ramkr.) causing leaf spot disease of ginger. J. App. & Nat. Sci. 9: 1662-1665.

Useful Resources

Management of DiseasesChickpeaBerries, Grapes, Fruits, Ginger, TumericHopSoilborne Disease Management in HTsCover crop – disease suppression mechanisms

Specialty Crops Pathology at VSU

Pseudoperonospora humuli

Thank you!!

zmersha@vsu.edu

(804) 524-2694