Unraveling the impact of soil nutrients on papaya black spot disease caused byAsperisporium caricae (Speg.) Maubl

The study was conducted to correlate soil nutrient factors and papaya black spot disease severity on leaves and fruits of the papaya plant cv. Taiwan Red Lady. The results revealed that there was a positive correlation coefficient i.e. increase in black spot severity) for soil pH, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, exchangeable calcium and magnesium and hot water extractable boron with black spot of leaf severities, whereas, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available potassium, available sulfur, DTPA extractable zinc, DTPA extractable manganese, iron and copper were negatively correlated with black spot severity on leaves. Further, black spot severity on fruits were positively correlated with soil pH, available N, available P, exchangeable Ca and Mg, DTPA extractable Cu, and negatively correlated with EC, OC, available K and S, DTPA extractable Zn, Mn and Fe, and hot water extractable B. Hence, the available nitrogen and exchangeable magnesium concentrations in soil significantly influence the papaya black spot disease severity but the difference in black spot severity due to changes in the concentration of nutrients other than these two analyzed in the experiment was nonsignificant.