Abstract
Studies on diseases of medicinal plants were conducted in nurseries and herbal gardens in and around Dehra Dun and Rishikesh. In all 29 diseases were recorded on 17 medicinal plants of which 23 were new diseases hitherto unrecorded in the country. Out of 23 new diseases, 9 diseases namely Rhizoctonia leaf web blight of Rauvolfia canescens and Artemisia sp., Myrothecium fruit rot of Withania somnifera, Sclerotium leaf blight of Gloriosa superba and Spilanthes oleracea, Pseudocercospora leaf spotting and blight of Gloriosa superba, Colletotrichum leaf spot of Tylophora indica, Pseudocercospora leaf spot of T. indica and Rhizoctonia basal rot of Solanum khasianum were recorded from New Forest Nursery, Dehra Dun, 7 diseases namely Rhizoctonia aerial blight of Stevia rebaudiana, Fusarium wilt of S. rebaudiana, Macrophomina charcoal rot of Rosmarinus officinalis, Rhizoctonia leaf blight of R. officinalis, Andrographis paniculata and Mentha piperata and Sclerotium leaf spot of Embelia ribes occurred in the nursery at Munikireti, Rishikesh, Rhizoctonia leaf web blight of Withania somnifera was encountered in the herbal garden at Jolly Grant and the remaining 6 new diseases namely Phoma leaf spot of Clitoria ternata, Rhizoctonia leaf web blight of C. ternata, Alternaria leaf blight of C. ternata, Botrytis leaf blight of C. ternata, Phytophthora leaf blight of Plumbago zeylanica and Fusarium canker of Tephrosia purpurea were recorded from the herbal garden at Vasant Vihar, Dehra Dun. An account of diseases is given.
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