Screening of fungicides against damping off disease of Chilli in foot hills of Himalayan region

One of the most common problems encountered in vegetable seedling production this time of year is "damping-off". Damping off is a disease that results in the rotting, collapse and finally death of seedlings just before or soon after they emerge. It often starts out in a few plants but can spread quickly throughout the entire flat and into neighbouring flats. Chemica lcontrol is an important tool for managing diseasesincluding soil borne ones particularly when the disease is prevalent in the field. Efficacy of eight fungicides was tested against R. solani by poisoned food technique. Among fungicides mancozeb, copper hydroxide and a combined products of carbendazim 12 % + mancozeb 63 %, carbendazim, benomyl, carbendazim 25 % + mancozeb 50 % recorded maximum inhibition of (100 %) mycelial growth at all concentrations (0.10 %, 0.20 % and 0.30 %) and captan showed 90.20 % inhibition at 0.10 per cent concentration, 100 per cent inhibition at 0.2 and 0.3 per cent concentrations. Least inhibition of 84.00, 88.88 and 89.33 per cent was observed in case of ziram at 0.10, 0.20 and 0.30 per cent respectively. Bavistin was most effective fungicide in reducing the mycelial growth of R. solani and gave complete inhibition of mycelial growth and action of these chemicals inhibit the germination, growth and multiplication of the fungus.