European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience

Authors
Swapan Kr Ghosh, Subhankar Banerjee

Abstract
Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. is a medicinally and commercially important plant. A destructive leaf spot disease in this plant is recently observed in West Bengal, India. It’s causal organism was isolated and phenotypically identified as Alternaria and molecular identification (ITS 1- 5.8s- ITS2) shows as Alternaria brassicae (Berk.) Sacc. This is the first report of the leaf spot disease on Aloe vera in West Bengal. Once in a week survey was conducted to note the occurrence of this disease throughout the year of 2013 in ten places of 24 Parganas District, West Bengal. In all ten places, this disease was present from January – December, 2013. Intensive research was conducted in order to record the disease intensity by monitoring Aloe cultivation at 4 selected areas of West Bengal throughout this year. The disease intensity was recorded maximum during July (95.71%) in State Pharmacopical Laboratory and Pharmacy for Medicine, Govt. of W.B, April in Nilgunj (95.45%), May at Rajarhat (87.77%), June at Basirhat(83.28%) and whereas the Disease Intensity was lowest in all four areas surveyed extensively during the month of December were recorded as 25.71%, 32.85%, 35.77% and 50.00%, respectively in Basirhat, State Pharmacopical Laboratory and Pharmacy for Medicine, Govt. of W.B., Nadia, Nilgunj(24-Parganas), Rajarhat. This study indicates that Aloe vera is the new host of A. brassicae and this disease is present in moderate to severe form throughout the year causing crop damage.