An Innovative Approach towards Organic Management of Late Blight in Potato under Inhana Rational Farming Technology

Summary

Successful disease combat of crop can ensure healthy return for the farmers. However, limitation in the conventional disease management approach, especially in case of late blight of potato was the background for the present study that aimed at bringing forth an alternative pathway for effective disease management. Integrated farming under Inhana rational farming technology (IRF) was adopted as an alternate protocol. The approach works on the philosophy of the Trophobiosis theory that advocates pest/disease management through plant physiology management. The study was done in two major potato growing zones of West Bengal taking two major potato varieties i.e., Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Chandramukhi. Late blight incidence varied from 2.82 to 7.91% in the IRF integrated farming plots whereas it was relatively higher varying between 49.44 and 66.67% in case of plots receiving conventional treatment. The finding remained consistent irrespective of the study area and potato variety. Ineffective disease management influenced the net loss of 2400 kg potato ha-1 under conventional farming. Percent disease index (PDI) was significantly high in case of conventional farmers’ practice (11.37 to 32.81). However, lower values (PDI varies 1.45 to 2.59) under IRF integrated farming showed the effectiveness of its disease management schedule. Efficient disease management under IRF technology might have been brought about through a focused approach towards activation of plant physiology in order to re-instate plants’ structural and biochemical defense mechanisms. The findings encourage the possibility of economically sustainable potato production under the changing climatic patterns.