Logo

India is one of the mega-biodiversity nations richly endowed with 45,000 plant species and about 7,000 plants are recognized and being used in Indian system of medicines like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy. There has been considerable emphasis on research and development on medicinal and aromatic plants for few decades, however, very little information on diseases and insect pests of these valuable plants is available in the country.

In the present compilation, a meticulous effort has been made by the authors to provide a consolidated picture of fungal diseases of important medicinal plants of India. Diseases of 202 plants were studied and out of which 52 different kinds of diseases have been recorded new to India. The distribution, uses of medicinal plants and symptoms of diseases along with percentage disease incidence (PDI) have also been outlined in this text. The present report also includes the diversity of fungal pathogens on these medicinal plants published by several earlier Mycologists from different parts of the country. Many other reports which have been published in different journals, Proceedings of Seminars, Symposia and Conferences have been taken into account in the preparation of the text.

We are confident that this book will serve as a key source of information on all the aspects of therapeutic importance and fungi associated with medicinal plants / crude herbal drugs not only to the students but also to the Mycologists, Plant Pathologists, Extension Specialists, Fungal Taxonomists, Research Organizations, medicinal plants Cultivators and plant drug Manufacturers at National and International level.