Comparative Efficacy of Methods of Inoculating Soybean with Stem Blight Pathogens in Relation to Growth Stages

Among different methods of inoculating soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill.) plants with stem blight pathogen (Phomopsis sojae Lehman), toothpick method was found to be the best method whereas for inoculating Colletotrichum truncatum (Schw.) Andrus and Moore, spore suspension spray method produced better results. The time taken for appearance of symptoms and fruiting bodies was maximum when plants were inoculated at seedling stage. The flowering stage was found to be the ideal stage for inoculating both the pathogens.