Mulberry diseases may be infectious or non-infectious. Infectious diseases
are caused by pathogens. Non-infectious diseases are those that are due to
certain defi ciencies in nutrients essential to the plant. Infectious diseases
are classifi ed into fungal, bacterial, viral and nematode from the causative
organism. Of these, 10 or 12 diseases cause severe damage to mulberry
plants. They affect different parts of the plant. The economy of sericulture is
severely affected since both the quality and quantity of the leaf produced are
affected by disease. To control the spread of the disease or pest over large
areas and over a number of years, early diagnosis and immediate countermeasures
are essential. Foliar diseases include leaf spot, leaf rust, powdery
mildew, leaf blight and bacterial blight. Soil-borne diseases include root rot
and root knot. Nursery diseases include stem canker, cutting rot, collar rot
and dieback. Some of the most important are discussed below.