STATUS OF FUNGAL DISEASES OF IMPORTANT MEDICINAL PLANTS IN SAMASTIPUR, BIHAR
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Date
2021
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DRPCAU, PUSA
Abstract
India is a treasure house of medicinal plants and is endowed with precious genetic diversity. They are not an exception and are also attacked by several pathogens, mainly the fungal pathogens that degrade the quality of medicinal active principle which may lead to health hazards instead of curing the disease. A survey was carried out on fungal diseases of economically important five medicinal plants viz. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Sarpagandha (Rauvolfia serpentina), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Mint (Mentha arvensis) and Mandukparni (Centella asiatica) in MAP germplasm blocks at Dr. RPCAU, Pusa and its neighbouring areas at different time intervals. During the survey, eleven fungal diseases namely leaf spot/ blight (Alternaria alternata), wilt (Fusarium solani) and downy mildew (Peronospora sp.) of Ashwagandha, leaf spot (Colletotrichum truncatum) and leaf blight (Alternaria sp.) of Sarpagandha, leaf spot (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) and leaf blight (Alternaria sp.) of Tulsi, leaf spot (Curvularia lunata) and leaf blight (Alternaria alternata) of Mint and leaf spots (Cochliobolus sp. and Alternaria sp.) of Mandukparni were recorded. There was an increase in disease incidence during November to January. The overall variation recorded in disease incidence of the medicinal plants varied from trace (wilt and downy mildew of Ashwagandha) to 60 per cent (leaf spot of Mandukparni and Sarpagandha). The PDI also varied from trace to 61.11 per cent among the plants. All the isolated pathogens varied significantly in most of their
cultural and morphological characteristics. In vitro evaluation of native Trichoderma asperellum showed effective inhibition against the pathogens. Maximum inhibition percent was recorded against Fusarium solani i.e. 56.36 per cent followed by Cochliobolus sp. i.e. 55.38 per cent. Among the tested botanicals and essential oils, Garlic bulb extract was found most effective against most of the pathogens at both 5 and 10 per cent concentrations in showing complete inhibition (100%) followed by Neem leaf extract which showed maximum inhibition of pathogens (Alternaria spp., Fusarium solani, Colletotrichum truncatum, Curvularia lunata, Cochliobolus sp.) at 5 per cent concentration and Bael extract (Alternaria alternata, Cochliobolus sp., Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Alternaria spp., Colletotrichum truncatum) at 10 per cent concentration. This work may encourage other researchers to study these diseases further and their integrated management using biocontrol agents and plant extracts by properly testing their efficacy in the agrifields.