Foliar Fungal Diseases in Pulses: Review and Management

One of the major constraints that affect the yield of pulses is biotic stress. Among these, fungi are the most common parasite causing plant diseases that occur primarily on leaves, including stem and fruits. Cercospora, Ascochyta, Erysiphe, Peronospora, Uromyces, etc. are some of the fungi that cause foliar diseases in pulses. Symptoms of fungal leaf diseases include leaf spots, leaf blights, rusts, mildews, etc. Management of fungal diseases is very important to improve the yield potential of pulses. The chapter deals with the cause and physiological aspects of main foliar fungal diseases of pulse crops and issues related to management strategies. The disease management components such as agronomic practices, use of fungicides, biocontrol agents, host plant resistance (HPR), etc. are applied by the farmers to attain maximum yield.