Blight of cumin, in Rajasthan, is caused by:

Correct option is C

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is a major spice crop cultivated extensively in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Among the major diseases affecting cumin, blight is one of the most serious, causing significant yield loss, especially in arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan.
�� Why Alternaria burnsii is the Correct Answer:
· Causal Organism:
· Blight of cumin is specifically caused by Alternaria burnsii , a fungal pathogen first reported in India and commonly found in cumin-growing belts of Rajasthan.
· Symptoms:
· Dark brown to black lesions on leaves and stems.
· Rapid blighting of leaves, leading to defoliation.
· Poor seed development due to premature drying of umbels.
· Epidemiology:
· The disease thrives in cool, humid conditions, especially during late sowing and flowering stages.
· Seed-borne and soil-borne pathogen; also spreads via air-borne spores.
· Control Measures:
· Use of disease-free seeds, seed treatment with fungicides like carbendazim or thiram, and timely application of mancozeb or chlorothalonil sprays help manage the disease.