Sustainable management of Alternaria alternata-caused okra leaf spot

The present study evaluated the efficacy of different fungicides, viz. Carbendazim 50 % WP, Mancozeb 75 % WP, Hexaconazole 5 % EC, Copper oxychloride 50 % WP, Carbendazim 25 % + Mancozeb 50 % WS, bioagent Trichoderma viride and neem oil both individually and in combination for the management of Alternaria alternata-induced leaf spot in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) under in vitro and in vivo conditions at Lovely Professional University, Punjab during 2024–25. In laboratory conditions, Dual culture assays on PDA medium revealed that T. viride suppressed pathogen growth significantly, achieving 81.1 % inhibition. Neem oil exhibited a concentration-dependent antifungal effect, with inhibition increasing from 29.4 % at 10 ppm to 67.0 % at 50 ppm. Fungicidal treatments using the poisoned food technique showed that Hexaconazole 5 % EC was the “most effective”, recording up to 82.47 % inhibition at 750 ppm, followed by Mancozeb 75 % WP (63.79 %). While under in vivo condition, Carbendazim 25 % + Mancozeb 50 % WS resulted in the highest disease control among all the fungicides with least average disease incidence (14.18 %) and its highest reduction (60.49 %), disease severity (13.98 %) and its highest reduction up to (51.80 %) while enhancing plant growth parameters such as fruit length (11.26 cm), no. of fruits per plant (39) and plant height (165 cm) followed by Hexaconazole 5 %+ Neem oil, Copper oxychloride 50 % WP and Neem oil respectively. The integration of chemical fungicides, bioagents and botanicals was found to be an effective approach for sustainable management of leaf spot disease in okra.