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International Journal of Environmental & Agriculture Research (IJOEAR) ISSN:[2454-1850] [Vol-7, Issue-6, June- 2021]
Page | 1
Occurrence of Alternaria alternata causing leaf spot in
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) in Prayagraj area of Uttar
Pradesh, India
Amit Kumar Maurya1, Archana Udai Singh2*, Vinny John3, Rakhi Murmu4
1,3Department of Plant Pathology, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences, Prayagraj (U.P.)
2Division of Nematology, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi-12
4Senior Technical Officer, Regional Plant Quarantine Station, Kolkata
*Corresponding Author
Abstract— Among the pseudo-cereals grown in India, Fagopyrum esculentum Moench is known as Common buckwheat
and the most cultivated species in the hilly region of India. This is a short duration, multipurpose and nutritious crop which
can withstand changing climatic conditions and fit well in multiple cropping systems. At remote locations of mountain
ecosystems, buckwheat is a livelihood driven crop for small and marginal farmers. Buckwheat grains are primarily used for
human consumption and also for livestock, poultry and piggery feeds. Rural population of hilly region of India use
buckwheat sprouts and as pancakes especially in breakfast however, the recommended intake of buckwheat sprouts are less
than 40 g/day. Furthermore, it is also grown as cover crop, green manure crop, fodder crop, fertility restoring crop, honey
crop and medicinal plant. The crop is also a good source of Rutin (quercetin-3-rutinosid) and Fagopyrin that are known to
be used in preventing various human disorders. In January 2020 occurrence of disease on buckwheat (Fagopyrum
esculentum) in the research field of SHUATS, Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh in India was observed. Black spot symptoms were
noted on leaves with an approximate incidence of 50%. The disease symptoms are chlorotic leaf spots caused by Alternaria
alternata uniformly distributed and having concentric margins. They are circular, oval or oblong in shape. Each spot has
gray centre and brownish margin.
Keywords— Alternaria alternata, Buckwheat, Leaf spot.
I. INTRODUCTION
Buckwheat perform multitude functions as a break crop (breaks the life cycle of insect, pests and diseases), green manure
crop, smother crop (suppress weeds), nutrient conserving crop (enhanced nutrients uptake, reduces nutrients leaching and
immobilization), gourd crop (protecting main crop from wild animal), cover crops (soil protection against water and wind
erosions) and as land reclamation crop. Buckwheat is an ephemeral green manure crop which germinates in 3–5 days,
flowers within 30–45 days and matures completely within 90–110 days. (Babu et al., 2018; Ezra et al., 2010).
The occurrence of buckwheat ranged from Jammu Kashmir in north to Arunachal Pradesh in east and Tamil Nadu in the
south. However, Jammu Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal (Kalimpong, Coochbehar, New Jalpaiguri
and Darjeeling region), Sikkim, Assam (Upper Assam), Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya (Higher elevation region),
Manipur, Kerala Tamil Nadu (Nilgiris and Palani hills) and Chhattisgarh are the major buckwheat growing areas in India.
The seed is also used in a number of culinary preparations as well as alcoholic drinks. Buckwheat flour is known as Kuttu ka
Atta in northern part of India and mainly eaten during religious Upvas (fast) when cereals and pulses are not permitted to eat.
The protein content (11-14%) in buckwheat seed is of high quality due to its balanced amino acid composition and rich in
lysine (5.5-6%) and arginine (9.2–10%) which are generally deficit in cereals. Similarly, its grains has high content of
minerals especially Ca (110 mg/100 g), Mg (390 mg/100 g), P (330 mg/00 g), K (450 mg/100 g), Fe (4 mg/ 100 g), Mn (3.37
mg/100 g), Cu (0.95 mg/100 g) and Zn (0.87 mg/100 g) and biologically active compounds like rutin, fagopyrin etc. It is a
Received:- 06 June 2021/ Revised:- 18 June 2021/ Accepted:- 22 June 2021/ Published: 30-06-2021
Copyright @ 2021 International Journal of Environmental and Agriculture Research
This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted
Non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
International Journal of Environmental & Agriculture Research (IJOEAR) ISSN:[2454-1850] [Vol-7, Issue-6, June- 2021]
Page | 2
good dietary food crop as it has high nutritional value owing to bioactive compounds like vitamins, macro and micro
elements and enzymes. Further, buckwheat flour is free from gluten and can be safely consumed by people with coeliac
disease. Therefore, it may be an important alternative industrial food crop in agriculture.
Several pathogenic disorders have also been reported in buckwheat. These include: aster yellows caused by Mycoplasma;
stern rot due to Botrytis cinerea; root rots due to Fusarium spp., Botrytis spp.; and Rhizoclonia spp.; chlorotic leaf spot due to
Alternaria allernals; stipple spot disease caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana; blight due to Phyloplhora parasilka and downy
mildew caused by Peronospora spp. Attacks of several viruses also cause reduction in plant height and losses in grain yield.
(Madhukar and Reddy 1988).
An investigation was carried out for occurrence of disease on buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) in the research field of
SHUATS, Prayagraj Uttar Pradesh in India. Black spot symptoms were noted on leaves with an approximate incidence of
50%. The disease symptoms are chlorotic leaf spots, uniformly distributed, having concentric margins. Hence the isolation of
the pathogen was done in the present study by even following Koch’s postulates.
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
For isolation, surface sterilized leaves were cut from lesion edges and incubated at 25°C on Potato dextrose agar medium
amended with 12 mg/l tetracycline for 7 days. Fungal colonies appeared on the plates were fast-growing, brownish, and
cottony emerging from tissues had morphology and conidia typical of Alternaria alternata. (Vander Waals, et al., 2011)
To confirm Pathogenicity 8-10 days old seedlings of buckwheat were grown in pots in three replications. (5 plants/pots)
Conidial suspension of Alternaria sp. was prepared from 7 days old culture grown on Potato dextrose broth (PDB). Seedlings
were sprayed with suspension of 105 conidia per ml and covered with polythene covers and incubated at 28 + 10C and 12h
photo period. Un-inoculated pots served as control. Polythene covers were removed after 48hrs. Plants were regularly
watered and monitored for disease development.
III. RESULT
This is the first report of A. alternata causing leaf spot disease of Buckwheat in Prayagraj area of U.P, India. Symptoms
observed on the plants were chlorotic leaf spots, concentric rings of brownish to black in color. Morphological identifications
confirmed the isolation of A. alternata. The initial symptoms were round to be irregular (1-4 mm) on leaves. Each spot
consisted of a greenish-yellow halo surrounding a necrotic lesion. Symptoms were small, brown lesions on leaves with
concentric rings coalescing into larger lesions. For further study, infected leaves were collected. Conidia were greenish
brown, catenate, obclavate, multi-celled, with 2-6 transverse septa, 1-2 longitudinal septa, 10-30 × 6-12 μm in size. (Fig 1 to
5)
FIGURE 1: Pure culture of Alternaria alternata
FIGURE 2: Microscopic view of Alternaira alternate
International Journal of Environmental & Agriculture Research (IJOEAR) ISSN:[2454-1850] [Vol-7, Issue-6, June- 2021]
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FIGURE 3: Infected leaves of buckwheat
FIGURE 4: Pure culture of Alternaria alternata
FIGURE 5: Microscopic view of Alternaira alternata
As regards Pathogenicity test the pathogen proved pathogenic on Buckwheat and identical disease symptoms as observed in
the field symptoms on leaves were small, circular, necrotic spots that developed quickly forming typical concentric rings.
Later these spots coalesced and caused blighting of leaves. Spots were initially light brown and later turned dark brown was
observed 10 days after inoculation. However, no symptoms was observed on control plants. The pathogenicity was verified
with Koch’s postulates.
IV. CONCLUSION
It is, thus, desirable that buckwheat should be an integral crop of agricultural production systems of mountain agriculture in
order to maintain nutritional standards of small and marginal farmers. Resources requirement for buckwheat cultivation is
very less as compared to others cereals, hence it is a good candidate crop for rainfed ecosystems, organic farming, zero
budget farming and for jhum areas in north-east India. Therefore, this crop could become an important component of the
agriculture system of hill region for achieving nutrients self-sufficiency.
REFERENCES
[1] Babu, S., Yadav, G. S., Singh, R., Avasthe, R. K., Das, A., Mohapatra, K. P., Tahashildar, M., Kumar, K., Prabha, M., Devi, M. T.,
Rana, D. S., Pande, P. and Prakash, N. (2018) Production technology and multifarious uses of buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.): A
review. Indian Journal of Agronomy 63: 415-427.
[2] Ezra, D., Gat, T., Skovorodnikova, Y., Vardi, Y. and Kosto, I. (2010) First report of Alternaria black spot of Pomegranate caused by
Alternaria alternata in Israel. Australasian Plant Disease Notes, 5, 1-2.
[3] Madhukar and Reddy (1988) Some new leaf spot diseases of Pomegranate. Indian Journal of Mycology and Plant Pathology, 18,
171-172.
[4] Vander-Waals, J. E., Pitsi, B. E., Marais, C. and Wairuri, C. K. (2011) First report of Alternaria alternata causing brown leaf spot of
Potatoes in South Africa. Plant Disease, 95: 363-366.
