Mulberry (Morus alba L.) is a valuable tree of immense importance in silk industry due to its foliage, which constitute the chief food for silkworms (Bombyx mori L.) the source of fabulous silk. One of the major constraints in the cultivation and production of quality mulberry leaf is the attack of pests and diseases. Among the several diseases, root rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid is becoming a serious problem in many mulberry growing areas of south India. The root rot infected root samples were collected from the field and used for isolation of the pathogen. Cold water extracts of 10 plants species were screened against the mulberry root rot pathogen M. phaseolina. Among them, two plants extracts viz., curry leaf (Murraya koenigii L.) and Marunthukoorkan (Coleus forskohlii) showed the 67.77 percent and 61.10 percent inhibition of mycelial growth over control respectively. Similarly the sclerotial production showed 87.33 percent and 82.15 percent inhibition over control respectively.
Food Technique, In vitro, Macrophomina phaseolina, Mulberry, Mycelium, Sclerotia