Pythium Soft Rot Management in Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) – A Review

Ginger crop is affected by various diseases. Among them rhizome/soft rot is the most damaging one and main production constraint in ginger growing areas. This disease is mainly caused by the Pythium spp. along with association of some others micro-organisms. The severity of Pythium soft rot disease is influenced by different factors related to seed, environment and soil. This study was focused on Pythium soft rot of ginger with special reference to different management strategies. Different cultural measures viz. seed rhizome treatment before storage and sowing, selection of disease free seed rhizome, sowing time, application of soil amendments, good drainage of soil, soil solarization etc. are the important measures for management of ginger soft rot. Seed treatment and soil drenching are the two options of chemical control of soft rot. Seed rhizomes treated with fungicides azoxystrobin 25%, tebuconazole 25.9%, copper oxychloride 50%, carbendazim 50%, propiconazole 25%, metalaxyl-M 4% + mancozeb 64%, metiram 55% + pyraclostrobin 5%, carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63%, tebuconazole 25% + trifloxystrobin 25% and metalaxyl 8% + mancozeb 64% resulted in effective management. Different fungicide formulations viz. carbendazim 50%, copper oxychloride 50%, metalaxyl-M 4% + mancozeb 64%, metiram 55% + pyraclostrobin 5%, carbendazim 12% + mancozeb 63%, tebuconazole 25% + trifloxystrobin 25% etc. found effective for spraying. Seed treatment and application of Trichoderma spp. found suitable for effective biological management.