Management of Cephaleuros parasiticaus Karst (Trentepohliales: Trentepohliaceae), an algal pathogen of tea plant, Camellia sinsensis (L) (O. Kuntze)

The efficacy of certain biocontrol agents were evaluated against Cephaleuros parasiticus Karst, a causal organism of red rust disease in tea plants. Spraying of systemic fungicides was found to be superior to biocontrol agents followed by algicides in controlling the disease under field condition. Dipping of shears in the solutions of fungicide, detergent or biocontrol agents failed to protect the disease spread. The study on the impact of different harvesting practices on disease development showed the highest disease incidence in continuously shear harvested fields and least in hand plucked fields. There was a reduction in disease incidence in spraying of a solution containing urea and murate of potash mixture at 1% level. The maximum green leaf yield and productivity index were recorded in biocontrol agents treated plots. Among the various group of biocontrol agents evaluated, Streptomyces sannanensis and Streptomyces griseus belong to actinomycetes was better than bacterial and fungal antagonists in terms of disease protection and increase in yield potential. Similarly, tea bush canopy architecture, physiological and biochemical parameters were also increased in plants treated with biocontrol agents. In the case of untreated control plots, the disease incidence was increased from 36% to 44.5% and the plants were found unhealthy in terms of chlorosis, stunted growth and heavy flowering with banji buds. The shoots collected from treated and untreated control plots were subjected to manufacture CTC black tea which revealed almost all the tea quality parameters were significantly improved in the treated plot over the untreated plots. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.