61 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



associated with Acrothecium falcatum Tehon, but it is only 

 a weak parasite on jowar. It is capable of attacking 

 young leaves of bajra to some extent. Another form is 

 found on rice. All these are being studied in pure culture. 



Last season we received a number of reports and speci- 

 mens of disease in wheat with the general symptoms of the 

 foot rot disease which has attracted so much attention in 

 the United States in recent years. As in that country a 

 group of fungi seems to be responsible. The three fungi 

 so far found in India are Rhizoctonia destruens, a Pythium 

 of the gracile group, and a Fusarium. Of these the last 

 is the most destructive, the other two being responsible in 

 a limited number of cases only. All three fungi were 

 isolated in pure culture by Mr. L. S. Subramaniam and 

 successful inoculations were obtained with them on wheat 

 grown at Pusa. 



(4) Pythium disease of ginger and other crops. A 



Memoir describing fully this disease was published by Mr. 

 L. S. Subramaniam during the year. As the work was 

 summarized in last year's report it need not be further 

 referred to here. 



(5) Potato storage rots. Considerable attention has 

 been given to the study of the means of preventing rotting 

 of potato tubers during the hot weather and rains. Com- 

 plaints of heavy losses from this cause leading to an exces- 

 sive price of " seed " tubers at planting time, have become 

 very frequent of late. A series of experiments was con- 

 ducted at Sialkot in collaboration with the Punjab 

 Department of Agriculture. 



In storing potato tubers a two-storeyed well- ventilated 

 house was selected and fumigated with sulphur vapour. 

 Two sorts of tubers were selected : (a} from fields where 

 potatoes were grown as ordinary routine crop, (b). from 

 fields where potatoes were grown for the first time. 

 The selected potato tubers were then put into sterile 

 gunny sacks and fumigated with petrol vapour for 

 24 hours. Some of these fumigated potatoes were 



