Host Range Studies of Botrytis ricini, the Causal Agent of Castor Grey Mold

摘要

Botrytis grey mold (BGM) caused by Botrytis ricini Godfrey is a very serious disease of castor especially when heavy and continuous rains are coupled with high humidity during capsule formation stage (Annual Progress Report, Castor, 1986). The epidemic of botrytis grey rot has been reported in Andhra Pradesh (Moses and Reddy, 1989), Tamil Nadu, which led to the decline in castor cultivation (Hanumanth Rao, 1996 & 1997). For effective management, the knowledge of pathogen survival and its host range is essential. Keeping this in view, host range studies of B. ricini were undertaken as per the method of Rathi and Tripathi (1991).