INSTITUTE, PUSA, FOR 1U17-18 81 



while testing the first of these possibilities by growing 

 newly-imported varieties received direct from abroad or 

 from some other part of India. It was found in Bombay 

 that directly imported Madras seed did nearly as well as 

 the foreign importations, but it was not known how long 

 the Madras varieties had been in the country. The view 

 that the disease in the crop is due to phosphatic depletion, 

 suggested tentatively last year, must be abandoned. 



(8) Other diseases. A damping of! of tobacco seed- 

 lings due to Pythium gracile came under observation and 

 control measures were tested. The treatment of seed beds 

 with copper sulphate and sulphuric acid in varying pro- 

 portions did not check the disease. 



An outbreak of a fungal disease upon the Rangoon bean 

 (Phaseolus lunatus) in Burma was attributed to the fungus 

 Phytophthora in articles in the public press. Investiga- 

 tion of specimens showed that this diagnosis was quite 

 erroneous and that the preliminary alarmist reports were 

 without adequate foundation. This fungus is a sclerotial 

 fungus and is under observation in culture at Pusa. 



A serious outbreak of disease on opium poppy was 

 reported by the Agricultural Adviser, Central India States, 

 and proved to be due to Erysiphe Poiygoni. a mildew not 

 previously known as a parasite of poppy. The disease will 

 be kept under observation during the coming season. 



Work on sclerotial diseases of sugarcane and paddy was 

 continued and the results are being prepared for publica- 

 tion. It has been established by inoculation that the 

 sclerotial fungus which produces the disease known as 

 ' Djamoer Oepas " on sugarcane will infect upon paddy. 



Some observations were made correlating the incidence 

 of wilt disease in rahar (Cajanus indicus) with the com- 

 position of the soil. The results were obtained from the 

 permanent manurial plots on the Pusa farm and the work 

 will be continued every year. Field work on tokra of 

 tobacco was continued and the results confirmed the con- 

 clusions published in the last annual report ; the investiga- 



