A Study of Diversity of Pathogenic Fungi on Herbaceous Flora of Kanglung, Trashigang

This study was conducted to document the diversity of pathogenic fungi causing diseases based on the external symptoms and microscopic observation. The study focused on herbaceous plants of Kanglung growing inside the college campus and adjacent areas as movement was restricted due to Covid-19 protocol. Among 19 different fungal diseases reported, the major plant diseases were rust, powdery mildew and leaf spot. With the potential to affect a wide range of hosts, diseases such as rust and powdery mildew have caused significant loss to the agriculture yield. The rust diseases caused by Uromyces appendiculatus and Uromyces bidenticola have an autoecious life cycle as these pathogens completed their life cycle on a single host plant. The heteroecious life cycle requiring two hosts to complete their life cycle was observed in the pathogens of Phakopsora pachyrhizi, Puccinia sorghi and Puccinia oxalidis. The causal organism of the common corn disease, Puccina sorghi is found on the alternate host which is the Oxalis latifolia. A total of 7 pathogens causing powdery mildew were observed. It was also observed that Podosphaera xanthii caused powdery mildew on Bidens pilosa. Similarly, Erysiphe betae also caused powdery mildew to fabaceae family.