Incidence and Plant stage relationship of rootrot incited by Macrophomina phaseolina on mothbean assessed using Novel Inoculation methods.

The ability of Macrophomina phaseolina, the casual agent of Moth bean to produce pycnidiospore in moth was
studied in the field and under laboratory condition. The Root rot of moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia (Jacq.) Marechal,
caused by M.phaseolina ,is quite prevalent in the moth growing areas of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh state. The
pathogen infects the moth plant at all ages and it results in a huge loss. The present study was undertaken to study
the development of necrosis and occurrence of sclerotia and pycnidiospores in order to study the pathogenic
variability of M. phaseolina. and to determine the morphological and pathogenic variability and their correlation
with the age of vigna plant. The isolates showed variation in mycelia growth and sporulation. Variability is the very
basis of survival of the pathogen and It was observed that the sclerotia were produced in collar regions of 15,30,45
and 60 day old plants but symptoms were found to be more prevalent at maturity stage as compared to
initial,seedling and flowering stages. Data reported here indicates that the sclerotia contribute to death of infected
plants.. It was observed that maximum disease incidence in plants occurs at maturity stage and susceptibility of
plants to Macrophomina increased with age.