Leaf yield loss assessment due to Macrophomina root rot disease in mulberry gardens of south India

Leaf yield loss in mulberry due to Macrophomina root rot disease was assessed in three different states of south India at field level. The highest leaf yield loss recorded was in V-1 variety (34.74), whereas the lowest leaf yield loss was in K-2 variety (28.54). However, the leaf yields losses in other varieties viz., MR-2 (32.90), S-36 (32.06), RFS-175 (31.75) and S-13 (29.0) recorded were medium. The average leaf yield loss was 31.49 due to root rot disease caused by M. phaseolina in mulberry

Pathogenicity of various isolates of macrophomina phaseolina on mulberry (Morus spp.)

Various isolates of Macrophomina phaseolina were isolated from root rot disease affected mulberry gardens in south India. Pathogenicity trials exhibited that the different isolates (AP-01 to AP-09, KA-01 to KA-09 and TN-01 to TN-09) were found pathogenic to mulberry causing root rot disease. The results revealed that the sprouting percentage was significantly decreased (21.39-44.28), while root rot disease severity was found to be markedly increased (71.0-100). Thus the different isolates viz., AP-01 to AP-09, KA-01 to KA-09 and TN-01 to TN-09 fulfilled the Koch postulates. However, it was evident that the isolates (AP-01 to AP-09, KA-01 to KA-09 and TN-01 to TN-09) have exhibited variation in their virulency and the isolate AP-03 was found to be most virulent