International Clinical Pathology Journal Research Article Open Access Principles of disease management in fruit crops Introduction Volume 4 Issue 5 - 2017 India is the second largest producer of fruits in the world, contributing 10% of the total production. But, the total production is quite below (45.496million tons from 37.96million hectares) SK Thind the requirements at the recommended dietary allowances of 90gm Punjab Agricultural University, India of fruits per capita per day as laid by Indian Council of Medical Correspondence: SK Thind, Punjab Agricultural University, Research. Accordingly, 90million tones of fruits are required to Ludhiana–141 004, Punjab, India, Email
[email protected] feed the one billion population of India. Since, it is not possible to attain such a high target, as plant diseases are the major constraints Received: April 17, 2017 | Published: May 16, 2017 in increasing the productivity of fruit crops. Huge pre–and post– harvest losses are caused by various fruit diseases and unfavorable environments leading to the total failure of the crops. Citrus decline, apple scab, mango malformation, guava wilt, fire blights, banana disease produces several valuable signs/symptoms and they are bunchy top and wilt, brown rots of stone fruits, crown galls, downy collectively called syndrome. Spore–is a minute propagating unit and powdery mildews are the destructive fruit diseases causing huge responsible for the production of new individuals of the same species. losses to the fruit industry worldwide.1 Intensive agriculture provides Inoculums–is the infectious material or portion of the pathogen that greatest opportunities for the buildup of many new diseases and can cause a disease.