Investigation on foot and root rot of betel vine (Piper betle L.) in Kushtia district of Bangladesh

Betel vine crop is mainly attacked by foot and root rot disease in Kushtia. Young stems were found more prone to attack than the old ones. Pathogenicity test showed Sclerotium rolfsii produced characteristic symptoms on betel vine and proved to be the causal pathogen of the disease. An investigation on the diseases of betel vine was done in six upazilla of Kushtia district, viz. Bheramara, Daulatpur, Khoksha, Kumarkhali, Kushtia Sadar and Mirpur. Disease incidence and severity of foot and root rot of betel vine ranged from 24.00 to 58.00% and 17.65 to 34.75%, respectively, where the maximum disease was recorded in Mirpur and the minimum was in Khoksha in the month of July and October. Disease incidence and severity of foot and root rot of betel vine ranged from 50.00 to 58.00% and 33.25 to 34.20%, respectively in Mirpur where the maximum disease was recorded in July and the minimum was in October. In Kushtia Sadar, disease incidence and severity of foot and root rot of betel vine ranged from 27.00 to 37.00% and 18.45 to 20.39% respectively. In Bheramara, disease incidence and severity of foot and root rot of betel vine ranged from 27.00 to 37.00% and 18.30 to 20.38%, respectively. In Kumarkhali, the disease incidence and severity were 45.00 to 50.00% and 27.95 to 30.60% respectively. In Khoksha, disease incidence and severity of foot and root rot of betel vine ranged from 24.00 to 31.00% and 17.65 to 18.80% respectively. In Daulatpur, disease incidence and severity of foot and root rot of betel vine ranged from 39.00 to 46.00% and 22.30 to 24.35% respectively, considering all the locations of Kushtia District, the maximum disease was recorded in the month of July and the minimum was in October.