Ashy stem blight is a common disease that affects Dolichos bean (Arka) crops. The disease is caused by the fungus Phomopsis vexans, which can infect the stems, leaves, and pods of the plant.
Symptoms of the disease include brown or black lesions on the stem, which can cause the stem to become brittle and break easily. The leaves may also develop yellow spots, and the pods may become discolored and deformed.
To control the spread of the disease, it is important to implement proper cultural practices such as crop rotation, removing infected plant debris, and avoiding overhead irrigation. Additionally, fungicides can be applied to help control the spread of the disease, with thiophanate methyl and vitavax reduced incidence significantly. Treating the seeds with captan, thiram or benlate is also helpful in reducing the disease( usually 3g/kg og seeds). Organic control implement by treating the seed with biocontrol agents like Trichoderma viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis show the results.
