Diseases of Tuberous Medicinal Plants

Tuberous medicinal plants (TMP) are an important group of plants in which roots are modified into tubers and used for medicinal purposes. Many TMPs viz., Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), safed musli (Chlorophytum borolivianum), Patarchur (Coleus forskohlii), asparagus (Asparagus adscendens), turmeric (Curcuma longa), Holostemma adakodien, Typhonium trilobatu, etc. are currently used in the preparation of stimulants, tonics, carminatives and expectorants. Plant diseases especially those caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses pose a serious threat to the profitable cultivation of tuberous medicinal plants. Important diseases of tuberous medicinal plants include root rot, wilt, tuber rot, rhizome-rot etc, which are mainly caused by soil-borne pathogens such as Fusarium, Verticillium, Sclerotium, Rhizoctonia and Pythium species. Growers generally use fungicides/pesticides to control these diseases. However, chemical residues in the plant tissue resulting from pesticide application make TMP medicine unsafe for human health. Biological control using antagonistic fungi and bacteria is a good substitute for chemical pesticides. In this chapter, we present an elaborate description of the important diseases of TMPs along with their sustainable management options.

Keywords: Asparagus, Ashwagandha, Fusarium spp., Pythium spp., Rhizoctonia spp., Safed musli, Sclerotium spp., Verticillium spp.