INTRODUCTION

Turmeric is a spice which is an underground stem modification.
Crop mostly grown in the warmer conditions throughout the world. 
Approximately 3.24 lakh hectares are under cultivation in India.
The production is around 11.61 lakh tones (its 75% of global turmeric production).
There are more than 30 varieties of turmeric are grown in 20 states of India. 
The major turmeric growing states of India are MAHARASTRA, TELANGANA, KARNATAKA, and TAMIL NADU.

THROUGHOUT THE TELANGANA

The area under cultivation that is approximately 0.41 lakh hectares (1.01 lakh acres).
The major turmeric growing districts of Telangana are JAGTIAL, NIZAMBAD, NIRMAL, WARANGAL, MAHABUBABAD.

These are the several districts that are growing turmeric in Telangana region.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Turmeric is consisting medicinal value.
Mostly used in AYURVEDIC medicine. 
CURCUMIN is an active compound which is associated with ANTIINFLAMMATORY, ANTICANCER, ANTIOXIDENT properties.
It is also used for managing OSTEOARTHRITIS PAIN.

CULINARY USES 

Widely used in Indian cousin, especially in curries.
Which is also added for soups, roasted veggies, rice dishes, mostly in making GOLDEN MILK (warm milk, black pepper, cinnamon, honey).

DISEASES OF TURMERIC

RHIZOME ROT: Pythium aphanidermatum, P. graminicolum

SYMPTOMS :

Disease occurs in patches.
Plant show progressive drying of leaves which first precedes along the margins later entire leaf dried.
Root system adversely affected. 
Roots get reduced few having decaying brown roots are found if uprooted. 
Infections gradually spreads to rhizome which begin to rot and becomes soft. 
Orange color of the rhizome is changed into different shades of brown.

MANAGEMENT:

Crop rotation with non-host crops. 
Crop should be grown in light soils and with good drainage. 
Use disease free rhizomes for planting.
Follow soil drenching at root region with capton @ 2g, COC @2.5g.
Turmeric varieties like PCT-13, PCT-14 shows resistance.
Rhizome should be dipped in metalaxyl@ 2.5g/l or bordeaux mixture@ 1%.

LEAF SPOT : Colletotrichum capsis

SYMPTOMS:

Fungus attacks only leaves and usually infection is confined to leaf blades and occasionally extend to leaf. 
On leaves, elliptical to oblong spots of different size. 
Spots gradually increase in size and attain the length of 4 to 5 cm breadth of 2 to 3 cm. 
Spots are having greyish center. Severe cases it also turns into thin and papery.
Several spots coalesce to form irregular necrotic patches.

MANAGEMENT :

Remove and destroy infected plant debris.

Treat rhizomes with COC@0.25% solution. 

Avoid excess shading. 

Tolerant varieties TS-2, TS-4, TS-9, TS-88. LEAF BLOTCH Taphrina maculans

SYMPTOMS :

Appearance of large number of spots on both sides of leaf. 

Spots first appear as a pale-yellow discoloration which gradually turn to reddish brown. 

Spots lie between leaf veins are rectangular, coalesce to from big regular patches.

MANAGEMENT :

Collect and destroy diseased leaves. 

Spray mancozeb@0.25% or COC@0.25% at 20 days interval.

Resistant varieties China (curcuma domestica) and Jaweli (C.amada).

CONCLUSION

Managing the disease without ITK’s approach that lead to environmental safe and human secure crop growth.