52 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE 



(6) Anthracnose of peppers. The disease of betle 

 pepper referred to in previous reports as being probably- 

 due to an anthracnose fungus, has proved more difficult to 

 elucidate than was anticipated. All attempts to produce 

 it artificially by inoculating with cultures of the suspected 

 fungi have failed. In the absence of definite knowledge of 

 the cause no useful recommendations for treatment can be 

 offered. 



The chilli anthracnose (due to Colletotrichum nigrum) 

 is a serious disease of this crop in several parts of India. 

 It was prevalent in Bihar last year and some spraying 

 experiments were tried. Later on it appeared that a more 

 hopeful line of treatment lay in the use of disease-free seed 

 and investigations are in progress to test this method. It 

 has been found that, as in the allied bean anthracnose, the 

 parasite penetrates the pod and reaches the seed. If such 

 seed be sown the following season a certain number ger- 

 minate and give seedlings on which the fungus may be 

 found. Such seedlings must serve as a source of infection 

 to their neighbours and it seems probable that this is one 

 of the main ways by which the disease is perpetuated. If 

 seed only from healthy pods be used this source of infection 

 can be eliminated, and further experiments are in progress 

 to test the effect of this on the subsequent crop. 



(7) Plantain diseases. An account of a plantain dis- 

 ease prevalent at Pusa was published early in the year. It 

 is a wilt, caused by a species of Fusarium allied to, but dis- 

 tinct from, that which causes the dreaded Panama disease 

 of the New World. The parasite was grown in pure cul- 

 ture and successful inoculations with it secured. In mild 

 attacks the growth of the plant is not checked but in more 

 severe cases the rot reaches the stem and may kill the whole 

 crown. Much loss is also caused when the stalk of the 

 fruit bunch becomes attacked as this may lead to total des- 

 truction of the bunch. No method of treatment has been 

 found. 



A second plantain disease, familiar in India, is the 

 fruit rot caused by Gloeosporium musarum. Attempts to 



