Vol. 8, Issue 1, Part C (2026)

Phytophthora blight, caused by Phytophthora drechsleri f. sp. cajani, is a major soil-borne disease that constrains pigeonpea production in rainfed agro-ecosystems. Frequent heavy rainfall and poor drainage aggravate disease severity, resulting in substantial yield losses. On-farm trials were conducted during the kharif seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 at Uplai (Khurd) and Uplai (Budruk), Ta. Madha, in the Solapur district of Maharashtra, to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated disease management (IDM) module compared with farmers’ practice. The trials were laid out in 15 farmers’ fields under rainfed conditions. Results revealed that the IDM module comprising seed treatment with Trichoderma @ 5 g kg⁻¹ seed, followed by two foliar sprays of Metalaxyl 4% + Mancozeb 64% @ 1.5 g l⁻¹, significantly reduced disease incidence, with a pooled reduction of 61.4 per cent over farmers’ practice. The IDM treatment also recorded higher yield (20.6 q ha⁻¹) and a benefit-cost ratio (2.4). The study conclusively demonstrates that integrated disease management is an effective, economical, and sustainable strategy for managing Phytophthora blight in pigeonpea under rainfed farming systems.