ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information on diseases of jute, their symptoms, pathogen characters, epidemiology, and management. The diseases covered are root and stem rot, anthracnose, black band, soft rot, powdery mildew, hooghly wilt, and leaf mosaic. The pycnidial and sclerotial stages are responsible for the disease and the perfect stage, Orbilia obscura is very rarely seen. The pycnida are initially immersed in host tissues, then erumpent at maturity. The sclerotium survives in the soil and on infected crop debris serve as the primary source of inoculum. Sclerotia germinate on the root surface, germ tubes form appresoriathat penetrate the host epidermal cell walls by mechanical pressure and enzymatic digestion or through natural openings. The mycelium enters through the epidermis and attacks the parenchymatous tissues between the wedges of bast fibre bundles. High soil moisture with high temperature and close spacing favours the disease.
