Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Pests and diseases

Pests
Cumin is often attacked by aphids (Myzus persicae, Hyadaphis coriandari). They can be effectively controlled by spraying a 0.3% solution of Phosphomidon (0.03%), or Dimethoate (0.3%) or Methyl parathion (0.2%) or Metasystox (0.3%) or Endosulfan (0.07%) or Monocrotophos (0.01%) or tobacco decoction. Weevils are also reported to cause damage to the crop.

Diseases
Cumin wilt
This is caused by Fusarium oxysporum, F cumini and F equisetti. The organism can infest the plant at any stage of growth. The infected plants will wilt and die. It has been estimated that crop losses due to this disease vary from 70% to 80%. Although control of the disease is rather difficult, the severity of the disease can be minimised by the use of healthy and disease-free seeds, treating the seed with a mixture of Captan and Bavistin @ 4 g/kg of seed before sowing, fallowing, etc. A three-year crop rotation sequence to accommodate cumin once in three years and deep summer ploughing and soil solarisation during summer months is effective. Organic amendments like neem cake are also useful in checking wilt. The exotic lines UC-198 from Egypt and UC-199 from Libya are found to be more resistant to wilt.
Cumin blight
This disease is caused by Alternaria burnsii. The blight-infected plants show dark brown lesions on the leaves, and the stem and tops tend to bend downward. The infection spreads rapidly if there is cloudy weather and it becomes very difficult to protect the crop in the advanced stages of infection. The plants are susceptible to this disease at the flowering stage. In order to control this disease, seed dressing with Bavistin or Captan (4 g/kg) or Dithane M-45 (2 g/kg) and a foliar application of Dithane Z-78 at the concentration of 0.2% or Blitox-50 at fortnightly intervals is recommended.
Powdery mildew
This disease is caused by Erysiphe polygoni. The whole plant becomes almost white with powder, and does not exhibit proper seed formation. In the initial stages of the disease, the crop shOuld be sprayed with a 0.3% solution of Wettable sulphur/Dinocop (0.25%), Karathane, or 0.2% Calixin at 15 days' intervals commencing from 45 days after germination, or dusting the crop with 20 to 25 kg of Sulphur dust per hectare would also effectively control the disease. Witches broom, caused by phytoplasma, has also been reported to affect cumin.

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