Fungal diseases of Betel vine (Piper betle L.) in India and their management : An overview

Betel vine (Piper betle L.) ,commonly known as Pan, is one of the major cash crops in India.It is also referred to as green gold of India.Following the traditional practice, betel leaves are chewed directly by the people of different states of India and it is also indispensable in various religious , social and cultural aspects of human life.Besides this, Betel vine has nutritive and therapeutic value by virtue of its phytochemical constituents.The present review mainly discusses the major diseases of Betel vine such as Foot rot, Collar rot, Root rot, Leaf spot and Powdery mildew caused by fungal pathogens.The environmental conditions inside Pan Baroj are favourable for the growth of fungal pathogens, thus resulting to the incidence of fungal diseases of betel vine.Among the above mentioned diseases, Foot rot caused by Phytophthora parasitica and Collar rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii are the two most deadly diseases of betel vine which cause significant reduction in yield (upto 90-100%) every year consequencing huge economic loss.Although chemical fungicide treatment was found to be the most effective method for disease management, but considering their toxic effect on human health and ecosystem , the use of biocontrol agents is a better alternative for disease control.Recently Integrated disease management strategy is found to be effective in controlling fungal diseases of betel vine.