Evaluation of foliar application of chitosan for disease resistance in seedlesswatermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum and Nakai]

Chitosan, a cationic polysaccharide can be exploited in crop production owing to its bio stimulant properties such as improving germination, plant growth, yield, pest and disease management, etc. The experiment was conducted with an objective to standardise fertigation and to evaluate the effect of chitosan on triploid seedless watermelon. Foliar application of chitosan was done at pre flowering and fruit setting stages and reduced the vulnerability index of watermelon budnecrosis virus in the range of 4.67 to 14.67 %, percentage disease index of gummy stem blight in the range of 0.4 to 22.12% and percentage disease index of fusarium wilt in the range of 1.4 to 17.09 % in triploid seedless watermelon hybrid,Shonima grown under open precision farming with four fertigation levels.