Diseases of Vegetable, Ornamental and Spice Crops

Lecture 20

Introduction:

Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), popularly known as Kali Mirch belongs to the family piperaceae is one of the most popular spice and is known as the “King of Spices” due to its international trade. Black pepper is the dried, mature but unripe berries (fruit) of P. nigrum, a branching vine or a perennial climbing shrub mostly found in hot and moist parts of the Southern India like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. During cultivation, it is affected by several diseases which not only reduce the quantity but also quality of the produce. Diseases affecting this crop are described in detail in this lecture alongwith their management practices.