EFFECT OF AGE OF HOST AND CULTURE OF ALTERNARIA ALTERNATA ON ALTERNARIA BLIGHT OF FENNEL

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is a seed spice which belongs to the family Apiaceae. Alternaria blight is an important disease of fennel caused by Alternaria alternata. The present investigations were carried out during Rabi 2013- 14 and 2014-15 at the Agronomy Farm, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner to find out the effect of age of host and culture of Alternaria alternata on Alternaria blight of fennel. The maximum disease intensity (82.49 %) was recorded when plants inoculated at the age of 50 days followed by 70 days (81.11 %) while 10-day-old culture of the pathogen was found more aggressive in causing higher disease severity (83.81%) as compared to young culture i.e. 6-day-old culture (63.60 %).