ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Pathogen Interactions
This article is part of the Research TopicNon-chemical Strategies for Managing Plant Diseases and Abiotic StressesView all 6 articles
Evaluation of organic vinegar treatments and black gram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] genotypes for the management of pod rot disease caused by Fusarium humuli
Provisionally accepted
- 1G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, India
- 2Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, India
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Black gram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) is an important pulse crop valued for its nutritional benefits, soil-enriching nitrogen fixation, and use as animal feed. However, new diseases threaten its productivity, notably pod rot caused by Fusarium humuli, recently reported from Pantnagar, India. This study evaluated the efficacy of vinegars and pongamia oil under in-vitro and field conditions, and screened genotypes for resistance. In-vitro assays showed that Tebuconazole 25.9% EC achieved 100% mycelial inhibition at all concentrations. Among organic treatments, apple vinegar provided complete inhibition (100%) at 1.0% concentration and above, while sugarcane vinegar also maintained high efficacy across doses. Field trials revealed disease control ranging from 2.25% (Jamun vinegar 2.5% + hot water at 55°C for 10 min) to 52.83% (Seed treatment with Tebuconazole 1 g/kg + foliar spray of Tebuconazole 25.9% EC at 0.2%). Apple vinegar and sugarcane vinegar, used as seed and foliar treatments, recorded 42.70% and 41.56% disease control, respectively, along with enhanced plant growth, indicating their dual role in management and crop health. Screening of 50 genotypes during 2022–2023 identified 32 moderately resistant and 15 moderately susceptible lines, but none showed complete resistance. Apple and sugarcane vinegar thus emerged as the most effective organic options, with apple vinegar showing strong potential as a cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative. Overall, integrated approaches combining moderately resistant genotypes and organic treatments are essential for sustainable pod rot management in black gram.
Keywords: Black gram, Fusarium humuli, genotypes, organic vinegar treatments, Pod rot disease, Vigna mungo
Received: 15 Jun 2025; Accepted: 14 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Verma, Kushwaha, Kumar and Rawat. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Kailash Pati Singh Kushwaha
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