Assessment of yield loss of cumin (Cuminum cyminum) caused by Alternaria leaf blight and pathogen recovery from infected seeds

*Corresponding author: surendrasingh_rthr@yahoo.com Cumin, also known as ‘Jeera’ in India, is a widely used ingredient in Indian cuisines. It is referred to as the dried seed of Cuminum cyminum that belongs to the parsley family. In India, it ranks first among the spices in area with 5.94 M ha, with total production of 3.94 MT and productivity of 0.7 MT/ha (1). Rajasthan is the main cumin producing state, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra. In Rajasthan cumin is mainly grown in Jalore, Nagaur, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Barmer, Pali, Jaisalmer, Sirohi and Ajmer districts. Cumin production in Rajasthan was 1.76 MT and area was 4.96 M ha and productivity was 356 kg/ha during 2012-13 (2). Cumin cultivation is often challenged by diseases that cause quantitative and qualitative losses in yield. The major diseases are blight (Alternaria brunsii Uppal, Patel and Kamat), wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cumini Patel, Prasad, Mathur and Mathur) and powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni DC ex. St.-Am.) (5). Alternaria blight is considered as the most devastating disease of cumin in sub-tropical countries. This disease is quite prevalent and destructive as it affects all above ground plant parts including seed, thus, causing direct yield loss up to 70% (5). In India blight of cumin caused by A. burnsii was first reported by Uppal et al. (1938). Later on, it was reported from Rajasthan by Joshi (8). The losses caused by a disease vary with the host-pathogen combination and disease severity. Since limited information is available on the yield losses caused by A. burnsii and A. alternata in cumin an experiment was performed to assess the yield loss.