Abstract:
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) a member of the family Solanaceae, is the world's
largest vegetable crop after potato and sweet potato. Diseases of tomato act as the chief
limiting factor to its economic production. Recently, the collar rot caused by Sclerotium
rolfsii is becoming sever disease of tomato in India. Crop Losses up to 30 per cent due to
collar rot disease have been reported by many researchers in this crop. Hence to get a
preliminary idea regarding the incidence level and pattern of prevalence of the disease in
the agro-ecological condition of undulating red and lateritic zone of West Bengal, a roving
survey was conducted at different locations of the aforesaid agro climatic zone during the
crop growing season of 2014-15 and 2015-16. The pooled analysis of two years data
revealed that disease incidence was ranged from 7.61 to 21.79 % in this zone and the
Purulia district had maximum level of disease incidence ranging from 13.14 to 21.79 %
followed by Bankura districts 11.90 to 16.64 %, Birbhum district 9.75 to 17.73%,
Burdwan district 7.61 to 14.54 %. Paschim Medinipur district was noticed with less
incidence levels ranging from 9.08 to 9.51 %. This study provided an elementary idea
about the disease incidence pattern in this zone as well as paved the path for seeking
resistance sources under local conditions and recommendation of proper farming practices
to combat the drastic effects of collar rot disease
