ABSTRACT
The occurrence of powdery mildew, Pseudoidium anacardii, is conditioned by new sprouting of the cashew tree and the infection that occurs in buds, flowers, and young maturis (green cashew nuts). Mature tissues naturally become resistant to fungus and, for the control of the disease, preventive protection with a sulfur-based fungicide is necessary. The objective was to verify the flowering time and phenological protection periods in the dwarf cashew BRS 189 against P. anacardii infection. The experimental design was randomized blocks in split-plot scheme with four replications. The main plots were flowering time (time I and II) and split plots were six phenological protection periods. The severity of powdery mildew in the panicle, peduncle, and cashew nuts and cashew production was evaluated. It was verified that the flowering times and the phenological protection periods influenced the severity of the disease and cashew production. For disease variables, lower severities of powdery mildew were observed for the greater phenological protection periods in panicle, peduncle, and chestnuts. There was no significant difference between the flowering times when the phenological protection periods were analyzed for total weight and peduncle. In both flowering times the protection period (T6) was different from the others. However, there was no difference between flowering times and phenological protection periods in relation to the weight of the nuts. The results indicate that flowering times and phenological protection periods interfere with the severity of the disease and cashew production (peduncle) of the BRS 189.
Key words:
Anacardium occidentale; plant disease; Pseudoidium anacardii; phenology.
Thumbnail
