Abstract
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.