Prevalence of pigeonpea stem canker caused by Phoma cajani in Vidarbha region

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is a major pulse crop in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, India. However, the crop is affected by several biotic and abiotic stresses, with phoma stem canker emerging as a growing threat in recent years and can cause yield losses. An intensive roving survey was conducted to assess the incidence of phoma stem canker in the major pigeonpea growing districts of Vidarbha viz., Akola, Washim, Amravati and Yavatmal. The disease incidence was noticed in all the locations surveyed with the range from 18.00 to 60.33 percent. The highest mean incidence was recorded in Akola district (43.35%), followed by Washim (39.71%), Yavatmal (36.46%) and Amravati (35.82%). During the survey, a higher incidence of pigeonpea stem canker was noticed in Maruti (ICP-8863) grown areas compared to other varieties.