• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2006

Fifty-six indigenous and twenty nine exotic mulberry varieties were screened against powdery mildew, Myrothecium leaf spot, Pseudocercospora leaf spot, sooty mold and bacterial leaf spot for a period of three years under field condition. The percent disease index (PDI) was recorded during peak season of the foliar diseases. Out of eighty-five varieties studied, ten varieties were highly resistant and eight were resistant to powdery mildew; six varieties were immune and seventy-eight varieties were highly resistant to Myrothecium leaf spot; sixty varieties were highly resistant and 21 were resistant to Pseudocercospora leaf spot; forty four varieties were highly resistant to sooty mold and two varieties were immune and fifty-eight were highly resistant to bacterial leaf spot. Lowest cumulatative disease index was observed in M. multicaulis (7.28) followed by Thailand lobed (7.85) and Italian mulberry (8.06).

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.200-202
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• 2003

Leaf spots were first observed on watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad) under polyethylene film-covered green-house in November 2002. Symptoms appeared as dark-brown circles or large irregular spots on the leaves of watermelon. Occasionally, zonal growth of the lesions was observed. Under humid conditions, small black sclerotium-like bodies (sporodochia) were produced on the surface of the lesions. The sporodochia on leaf lesions were sessile, polymorphic, variable in size, 35-850 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in diameter, and 30-470 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in depth. Conidia in sporodochium were black in mass, one-celled, rod-shaped, with rounded ends, hyaline, guttulate, and measured 6-8$\times$1.6-2.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in size. The pathogen was identified as Myrothecium roridum Tode ex Fr. This is the first report of Myrothecium leaf spot on watermelon naturally occurring in commercial greenhouses.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2006

Peroxidase activity was measured in brown leaf spot pathogen (Myrothecium roridum) inoculated potted mulberry (Morus alba) during pre-symptomatic to various symptom development stages and compared with corresponding healthy leaf tissues. The enzyme showed a pH optimum of 7.0 and the activity was linearly increased up to 15 min of incubation. The peroxidase had a broad substrate specificity and the rates of oxidation were in the rank of pyrogallol> guaiacol> ascorbate at pH 7.0. Catechol at 10 mM inhibited 89% of guaiacol-peroxidase and 76% pyrogallol-peroxidase activities, indicated higher non-specific peroxidation in pyrogallol dependent assay system in mulberry than guaiacol. The optimum requirement for the guaiacol dependent assay was 0.2 ml (${\approx}40-60{\mu}g$ equivalent of protein) of crude enzyme source. Excepting the 8th leaf from the apex, the peroxidase activity did not vary appreciably in different leaf positions. In pre-symptomatic phases, an initial (1 to 5 min) rise of peroxidase activity was noticed in inoculated leaves, and then maintained a plateau up to 300 min. In contrary, non-infected tissue showed a slightly increased trend of enzyme level up to 420 min. In infected tissue, a sharp transient increase (3.1 fold) of peroxidase activity appeared between 300 - 420 min post infections. Afterwards, significantly different but steady maintenance of enzyme levels were observed in two treatments. On the other hand, during symptom development, a sharp increase in peroxidase activity was noticed up to 4th grade of lesion appearance (25.1 % to 50% of leaf area infection), and then declined slightly. However, in non-infected but same age healthy leaves, such huge fluctuations of enzyme level did not apparent. A high positive correlation $(R^2=0.92)$ between peroxidase activity and leaf spot development grades was also marked. The result implies that pre-symptomatic burst (between 1 - 5 and 300 - 420 min) and subsequent increased trend of guaiacol peroxidase activity may require for the symptomatic manifestation of Myrothecium leaf spot in mulberry.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 2003

Studies were conducted on the effect of pruning time, host age, conidial dispersal and weather parameters on the incidence and severity of mulberry leaf spot (Myrothecium roridum). The disease severity (%) increased with increase in shoot age irrespective of pruning date. Maximum disease severity was observed in plants pruned during first week of April and minimum disease severity in plants pruned during first week of March. Significant (P ＜ 0.01) influence of date of pruning, shoot age and their interaction was observed on severity of the disease. Apparent infection rate (r) was significantly higher during the plant growth period from day 48 to day 55. Average apparent yale was higher in plants pruned during first week of April and least in plants pruned during first week of July. The disease infection was negatively correlated to distance from the inoculum source. Leaf spot severity (%) was influenced by weather parameters. Multiple regression analysis revealed contribution of various combinations of weather parameters on the disease severity. Linear prediction model $(Y ＝ －81.803＋1.176x_2＋0.765x_3) with significant $R^2$ was developed for prediction of the disease under natural epiphytotic condition.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2003

Changes in biochemical constituents and physiological alteration were studied in various intensities (1-5%, 6-15%, 16-30%, 31-50% and ＞ 50%) of leaf spot (Myrothecium roridum) on mulberry leaves and compared with healthy leaves. Chlorophyll, total soluble sugar and total protein were decreased (P ＜ 0.01), but total phenol increased due to pathogen infection. Changes in biochemical constituents showed significant correlation with intensity of disease. Chlorophyll ($r^2$= 0.92), and protein (($r^2$= 0.83) possessed negative while phenol (($r^2$= 0.61) possessed positive correlation. Photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, moisture content (%) and physiological water use efficiency (pWUE) were decreased, but stomatal resistance increased in the infected leaves. Physiological parameters also possessed significant (P ＜ 0.01) correlation with disease intensity. Photosynthetic rate (($r^2$= 0.96), transpiration rate ($r^2$=0.88), stomatal conductance (($r^2$= = 0.65), physiological water use efficiency (($r^2$= 0.88) and moisture content (r = 0.85) were negatively but stomatal resistance (($r^2$= 0.75) was positively correlated to disease intensities.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2007

Ethanolic extracts of twenty-one plant species were tested in vitro for their fungitoxic properties against leaf spot causing pathogen of mulberry Myrothecium roridum by poisoned food technique. Ethanolic extracts of twenty-plant spp. reduced mycelial growth of M. roridum significantly except E. pulcherrima. Highest inhibition of M. roridum colony growth observed in 10% extracts of E. citriodora (49.45%) followed by D. metel (39.45%), Chromolaena odoratum (25.56%) and A. sativum (25.00%). Among the concentration tested, 10% concentration was found significantly higher effective on reducing colony growth followed by 5 and 2.5%. Aqueous extract fresh leaves/bulb of seven short-listed plant spp. (inhibition>15% in ethanolic extracts) revealed that D. metel inhibited (23.43%) followed by E. citriodora (14.66%), C. odoratum (13.53%). On dry leaf extracts D. metel was found more effective than E. citriodora. The results indicated that D. metel, E. citriodora, C. odoratum and A. sativum having high fungitoxicity against M. roridum and ethanolic extract found more effective than aqueous extract.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.183-188
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• 2002

Anti-fungal potential of 5 plant extracts viz., Eucalyptus citriodora, Allium sativum, Cassia sophera, Chromolaena odorata and Datura metel on the growth of mulberry brown leaf spot pathogen Myrothecium roridum were examined. Except fur the aqueous extract of Allium bulb, ethanolic leaf extract of all other plants more efficiently reduced the colony growth of the fungus on potato-dextrose-agar, Of which, Allium and Eucalyptus extracts were more effective. Initiation of radial growth of M. roridum on solid media was deferred maximum 6 days by ethanolic Eucalyptus extract and 4 days by aqueous Allium extract at $0.4 mg.ml^{-1}$. In the liquid media amended with Eucalyptus extract ($0.4 mg.ml^{-1}$) complete inhibition of sporulation was noticed upto 8 days, and initial inhibition of mycelial bio-mass generation was considerably diminished with time and reduction was 1.3 fold 14 days after application. While, complete inhibition of mycelial growth for 6-14 days was recorded with $\geq$0.1 mg.ml$^{-1}$ commercial eucalyptus oil. However, rejuvenation of growth appeared when fungus was re-inoculated in fresh media. Post-inoculate application of different doses Of Eucalyptus and Allium extracts significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the disease severity in pot-ted mulberry. However, persistence of the effect up to 28 days was apparent at $\geq$ 1.0 mg.ml$^{-1}$ and effectively was on par with carbendazim (1 mg.ml$^{-1}$ ). Almost equal control ability of 1.0 mg.ml$^{-1}$ Eucalyptus extracts can be achieved by ca. 10 times lowered dose of commercial eucalyptus oil. It seems, the toxic principle of E. citrodora to M. roridum is fungistatic in nature and may have essential oil based origin.