Tracking Gerbera Troubles: Surveying and Identifying Plant Diseases | InformativeBD

Sanzida Hoque, from the institute of Bangladesh. Mahbuba Khanam,  from the institute of Bangladesh and Nazmoon Naher Tonu, from the institute of Bangladesh. wrote a Research article about, Tracking Gerbera Troubles: Surveying and Identifying Plant Diseases. Entitled, Survey and Identification of Pathogenic Diseases Affecting Gerbera Plants. This research paper published by the International Journal of Biosciences | IJB. an open access scholarly research journal on Biosciences. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

This comprehensive study aimed to investigate the causal organisms, disease incidence and pathogenicity of microorganisms affecting gerbera plants in the Dhaka zone of Bangladesh. Nine sites of Agargaon, Savar, Gazipur, and Narayanganj were surveyed to identify the diseases based on symptomological studies. Diseases caused by fungi including cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora sp.), alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria alternata), sclerotinia wilt (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), anthracnose (Colletotrichum capsici), powdery mildew (Erysiphe sp.), blight (Curvulariageniculata), graymold (Botrytis sp.), stem rot (Fusarium oxysporum), and viral diseases such as leaf curl (Leaf curl virus) and mosaic (Mosaic virus) were identified. Among all the identified diseases, the highest disease incidence (66.67%, Gazipur) was exhibitedby alternaria leaf spot and the lowest disease incidence (5.56%, Narayanganj) was shown by graymold. The rate of reduction of plant height due to cercospora leaf spot, alternaria leaf spot, blight, anthracnose, graymold, sclerotinia wilt, stem rot, powdery mildew, mosaic, and leaf curl diseases was 28.1%, 28.42%, 12.47%, 12.69%, 28.36%, 30.67%, 19.14%, 28.08%, 12.89%, and 22.06%, respectively. The rate of reduction of other plant parts of gerbera was also recorded. To confirm pathogenicity, Curvulariageniculata, and Erysiphe sp. were tested on healthy gerbera plants following Koch’s postulates. The plants exhibited the disease symptoms of Curvulariageniculata and Erysiphe sp. after 9 and 6 days of inoculation, respectively, while the control plants remained symptom-free. Thus, the pathogenicity of Curvulariageniculata and Erysiphe sp. was confirmed.

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Introduction

Gerbera plants (Gerbera jamesonii) belong to the Asteraceae family andare highly valued for their vibrant and diverse range of colours, making them a beloved choice for floral displays and used as cut flowers or decorative garden flowers widely (Kanwar and Kumar, 2008). Some cultivars often have very attractive bicoloured flowers and the plant was named after Traugott Gerber, the German naturalist and botanist. Gerbera is also known as African Daisy, Barberton Daisy and Transvaal Daisy (Nagrale et al., 2013). Gerbera is one of the most charming and demanding cut flowers, which are cultivated under protective conditions in Bangladesh. It is ranked fifth among the top ten cut flowers and is considered one of the most valuable and promising cut flowers next to the rose (Saikia and Talukdar, 2017). Gerbera is used for the manufacturing of perfumes by extracting essential oils (Mohanty, 2014). Besides, these flowers are also used for flavoring food and for decoration. In Bangladesh, large-scale commercial cultivation of gerbera started in the mid-eighties in Jessore district when commercial floriculture flourished on account of its economic potential (Sultana, 2003). Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, is a significant hub for Gerbera traders and users, where reportedly around 1600 retail flower shops are located. Bangladesh exports a large amount of ornamental and cut flowers to the world market without missing a year (Mou, 2012). Gerbera is very popular and has a great demand in markets, but they are prone to various pathogenic diseases such as leaf blight, leaf spot, gray mould, anthracnose, soft rot, root rot, bacterial leaf spot, powdery mildew, etc., which can significantly affect their growth and quality (Bose and Yadab, 1989).

Understanding the prevalence, identification of causal organisms, disease incidence, and confirmation of pathogenicity is crucial for effective disease management strategies for Gerbera cultivation. It aims to conduct a comprehensive survey to evaluate the range of diseases affecting gerbera plants, their respective incidence rates and pathogenicity confirmation. Accurate identification of causal organisms is vital for effective disease management strategies. The study employed symptomological observations and laboratory analysis to identify the pathogens responsible for the observed diseases. In addition to identifying the diseases and causal organisms, the study also aimed to determine the incidence rates of each disease. By quantifying the disease incidence, the researchers can assess the severity and impact of specific diseases on gerbera plants in the Dhaka region.

The findings of this study will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenic diseases affecting gerbera plants in the Dhaka region. By identifying the causal organisms, determining disease incidence rates, and confirming pathogenicity, the research will provide valuable insights for developing effective disease management strategies, ensuring the health and productivity of gerbera crops. Consequently, the present work was focused on assessing the prevalence of pathogenic diseases and identifying the causal organisms associated with these diseases in the Dhaka region.

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