Kisanwala

23 Jun 2025​
4 min read
Cotton Disease Identification and Easy Management Practices.
Bacterial Leaf Blight (Xanthomonas citri / X. axonopodis pv. malvacearum) Disease:
Bacterial Leaf Blight Disease

Symptoms:

Water-soaked, angular leaf spots; black lesions on leaves, stems, and bolls; premature boll drop; lint discoloration.

Chemical & Dosage (per acre):

Streptomycin Sulphate 100 g + Copper oxychloride 500 g/acre – Agrimycin, Blitox

Mode of Application:

Spray evenly on crop foliage for effective bacterial leaf blight management and healthy cotton growth.

Anthracnose (Glomerella gossypii / Colletotrichum gossypii) Disease:
Anthracnose Disease:

Symptoms:

Small reddish spots on seedlings, stem splitting, “boll spotting” with sunken reddish-brown lesions on bolls, bolls failing to grow or burst, yellow to brown lint, and premature boll drying.

Chemical & Dosage (per acre):

Carbendazim 50% WP @ 400 g per acre – Bavistin (general recommendation; always follow label instructions).

Mode of Application:

Spray as a foliar application at the first sign of symptoms for fast and effective anthracnose control in cotton.

Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum) Disease:
Fusarium Wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum) Disease

Symptoms:

Yellowing and wilting of cotyledons and leaves, brown vascular discoloration in stems and roots, leaf necrosis, plant stunting, premature leaf drop, and plant death.

Chemical & Dosage (per acre):

Copper oxychloride 50 WP @ 2 g/litre – Welltox 50 W,
Thiophanate Methyl 70 WP @ 250–600 g/acre – Katyayani KTM,
Mancozeb 75 WP @ 500 g/acre – Sythane M45,
Trichoderma harzianum (root dip) – Katyayani Hattrick

Mode of Application:

Use certified seed, rotate crops, treat soil and seed, and remove infected plants for effective Fusarium wilt management in cotton.

Grey Mildew (Ramularia areola) Disease:
Grey Mildew (Ramularia areola)

Symptoms:

1. Pale, translucent spots appear on older leaves, followed by yellowing.
2. Premature leaf fall is also commonly seen.

Chemical & Dosage (per acre):

Sulfur dust: 10 kg per acre
Propiconazole 25% EC: 200 ml per acre – Tilt, Score

Mode of Application:

Spray evenly on crop foliage at the first sign of symptoms for effective grey mildew management in cotton.

Stem Blight (Lasiodiplodia theobromae) Disease:

Symptoms:

Dieback starting from twigs, multiple lesions on stems, branch death, and black pycnidia on twigs.

Chemical & Dosage (per acre):

Azoxystrobin + Difenoconazole (Amistar Top 325 SC) @ 2.0 ml/litre of water – Amistar Top,
Tebuconazole + Trifloxystrobin (Nativo 75% WG) @ 1 g/litre of water – Nativo

Mode of Application:

Spray thoroughly from the head to the bottom of the plant for effective twig and stem blight control.

Cercospora Leaf Spot (Cercospora gossypina):
Mosaic Virus

Symptoms:

Circular red lesions with white or gray centers, concentric rings, red margins, and dark gray spore masses on leaves.

Chemical & Dosage (per acre):

Propiconazole 25% EC @ 200 ml/acre – Tilt, Score

Mode of Application:

Spray as a foliar application at the first sign of symptoms for effective Cercospora leaf spot management in cotton.

Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) - (Begomovirus complex, transmitted by whitefly) Disease:
Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCV) - (Begomovirus complex, transmitted by whitefly)

Symptoms:

Leaf curling (upward or downward), darkened and swollen veins, cup-shaped leaf enations (growths along veins, often on the underside), stunted growth, small bolls, and sometimes leaf yellowing or mosaic.

Chemical & Dosage (per acre):

No direct chemical cure; managed by controlling whitefly vectors with recommended insecticides – Confidor, Actara (for vector/whitefly control)

Mode of Application:

Spray recommended insecticides as a foliar application for effective whitefly management and use resistant cotton varieties to protect against Cotton Leaf Curl Virus

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