Perpetuation of Phomopsis vexans on Infected Seeds, Leaf and Fruit Parts of Solanum melongena L.(Brinjal)

Perpetuation studies were conducted on Phomopsis vexans by taking the seed lot and the infected plant debris in to account. A total of ten fungal species were isolated from the brinjal seed samples collected from different locations using standard blotter and agar plate methods. Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger and P. vexans were isolated from all the seed samples, whereas, spores of only four fungal genera Alternaria spp., Curvularia spp., Fusarium spp. and P. vexans were detected during seed washing method. P. vexans was found to perpetuate through infected plant debris (leaf and fruit). Pathogen survived at all the six depths tested in the infected leaf debris till 240 days, though, ther was a decrease in per cent survival over the period of time, however, after 300 days the pathogen was not recovered at any depth, except at 0.0 cm. Survival of P.vexans recorded in infected fruit debris was cent per cent till 60 days after their burial in soil and a considerable decrease in the survival was observed with an increase in time period, the pathogen was recovered till 270 days.