Foliar application of plant defense elicitors on seed crop affects alternaria leaf and pod spots as well as seed quality parameters in Radish

The experiment was conducted in the feld and laboratory of Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr. YSPUHF, Nauni, Solan (HP) during 2017–18 and 2018–19 to study the effect of foliar application of plant defense elicitors like salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, amino butyric acid and potassium nitrate on severity of Alternaria leaf and pod spots, seed yield, seed quality, vigour and health of radish seed crop (cv. Japanese white). In all 13 treatments viz., SA @50ppm, 75ppm, 100ppm, MeJA @55 ppm, 110 ppm, 165 ppm, BABA @ 250ppm, 500ppm, 750ppm, KNO3 @1%, 1.5%, 2% and untreated control were there. Disease severity and seed yield were observed in feld while seed quality and health parameters of seeds were observed in the laboratory following blotter paper, roll paper towel method and grow out test. SA @100ppm besides reducing disease severity of Alternaria, was also found effective in increasing seed yield, 1000 seed weight and enhancing various seed quality and seed health parameters.