Major Achievements

• Recommendation of a copper fungicide (Perenox) against control of blister blight causal agent, Exobasidium vexans (1946) along with the description of life cycle of E. vexans (1949).
• Recommendations of control measures against ‘Poria’ disease tea plantations (1947)
• Development of a Knapsack sprayer for the control of blister blight (1951)
• Recommendation of three systemic fungicides (bitertanol, tridermorph, propiconazole) for the control of blister blight (1984)
• Development of a bio formulation of Trichoderma harzianum for the control of Poria root disease (2008) and T. asperellum, T. hamatum & Pseudomonas fluorescence to manage Poria, black and brown root diseases (2019).
• Molecular characterization of canker causing fungi in Low country and identification of Botryosphaeria mamane, B. dothidea, Fusarium solani, as new causal of agents & development of species specific primers for diagnosis (2010).
• Developed & validated accurate and precise blister blight disease assessment key based on disease severity (2014) & screening 5000 series accessions for disease resistance in Up country (2014) and Uva (2018).
• Identified the collar canker associated dieback is caused by Fusarium solani and devised control strategies (2014).
• Identification of Botryosphaeriaceae fungi as the primary cause of dieback of Grevillea shade trees in Uva region (2016)
• Completed bioefficacy and residue trials for granular and liquid copper formulations with lower copper content (20-37.5% metallic copper) & recommendation of Champ DP to manage Blister blight disease (2016-2019).
• By spectroradiometer NIR 740 – 1000 nm was identified as sensitive to Blister blight for detection and estimation in tea canopies with the view of developing remote sensing technique (2019).