• Charcoal rot is of economic importance particularly in the arid areas.
• The most common symptom of the disease, under field conditions is the sudden wilting of plants, usually after pollination.
• Early symptoms are not visible on infected plants, but they become weak, mature early and when dry, show a presence of black ashy discolouration of the stem.
• Black microsclerotia are formed in huge number on the affected portion.
• Sometimes the disease causes seedling blight, damping off, root rot or basal stem rot.

Management

• Soil application of P. fluorescens or T. viride – 2.5 Kg / ha + 50 Kg of well decomposed FYM or sand at 30 days after sowing.
• Spot drenching with Carbendazim @ 1 g/ litre