Role of Mixed Cultivars in Disease Management

The grounds responsible for severe epidemic in agriculture is the norm of growing homogeneous monoculture crops Browning et al., (1988). It has already been reviewed that the use of diversity (mixtures, multiline etc) for effective disease management for economic plants Browning et al., (1969), Frey et al., (1969) and Wolfe et al., (1985) and a positive relation has been established Browning et al., (1989). First experiment on multiline and mixtures for disease control dates more than 40 years ago. Management of diseases like powdery mildew and rust on cereals are well researched Wolfe et al., (1985). An important point to be stressed upon is Functional Diversity. The principle governing the Functional Biodiversity is the use of cultivars with diversified functions for limited disease development Schmidt et al., (1978). Cultivar mixtures is defined as to use cultivated variety mixtures growing together at the same plot with no need to breed for phenotypic uniformity Mundt et al., (2002). Its use is more practical than multiline due to no need to breed new cultivar and can be easily implemented by farmers of developing countries. Mixed populations are more resistant to unfavourable environments like- biotic and abiotic stress Wolfe et al., (2005); Wolfe et al., (1990); Wolfe et al., (1997).