Eco friendly management of guava wilt complex through frontline demonstration

Guava is a one of the remunerative fruit crop in Koppal district of Karnataka. Roving crop disease survey was conducted in the district and observed that many of guava orchards are wilting up during Rabi season about 12-15 per cent disease incidence was recorded in guava orchards. Farmers spending money for the management by using chemicals without knowing root cause of the disease. Though it is used as raw fruit consumption, chemical spraying may cause health hazards. Bio-control management is an important environment friendly concept in guava wilt complex disease. FLD was conducted for two consecutive years (2019-21) during Rabi-summer season for the variety Tiwan pink at farmer’s field. Application of FYM enriched with Paecilomyces lilacinus, Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Arka microbial consortia @ 1 kg/ton of FYM (2Kg/plant) yearly 3 times showed less incidence of wilt disease compare to existing farmer’s practice. After two years of implementation fruit yield increased from 1.36 to 1.82 T/ha and benefit cost ratio was worked out and it is revealed that for every one rupee investment it returns 3.34 rupees in demo plot. Farmers of the district motivated by the Frontline demonstration come forward to adopt the environment friendly technology for guava wilt management to get higher yield.