PJB-2020-325
CURRENT STATUS OF PEACH LEAF CURL DISEASE IN PAKISTAN AND FUTURE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
FAZAL AKBAR
Abstract
Peach leaf curl disease (PLCuD) is the most important biotic constraint to peach production in the world. This disease has also seriously damaged the fruit industry in Pakistan. PLCuD is caused by phytoparasitic fungi which include members of the genus Taphrina (family Taphrinaceae). Chemical fungicides are extensively used against the fungi to control the disease. However, the application of chemical control agents raise health and environmental issues, and continuous exposure to fungicides induce fungal resistance. Therefore, alternate control strategies that are cheaper, safer and efficient are required. Currently, there is no published data on PLCuD in Pakistan, and the issue still remains largely unnoticed. The actual causing agents of the disease in Pakistan also remain unidentified and management of disease is therefore not feasible due to huge gap in knowledge. This review highlights a very important issue faced by the farmers in Pakistan and the need for discovering novel biological control methods, which could become an effective tool for combating PLCuD.
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