History of Plant Pathology in India

• Early Contributions (19th Century):
  • The study of plant pathology in India began with European scientists in the 19th century, who collected fungal specimens and sent them for identification to laboratories in Europe.
  • Between 1850-1875, Indian scientists like D.D. Cunningham and A. Barclay started identifying fungi within India itself. Cunningham particularly studied rusts and smuts.
  • K.R. Kirtikar was the first Indian scientist to collect and identify fungi in India.

• E.J. Butler – Father of Plant Pathology in India:
  • E.J. Butler is considered the ‘Father of Plant Pathology’ in India. In 1901, he initiated extensive studies on fungal diseases at the Imperial Agricultural Research Institute in Pusa, Bihar.
  • Butler’s research over 20 years included the first studies on diseases like cotton and pigeon pea wilt, various diseases of rice, sugarcane, potato, and cereal rusts.
  • He published two key works: Pythiaceous and Allied Fungi and Fungi and Diseases in Plants (1918), laying the foundation for plant pathology in India.

• Contributions by Indian Scientists:
  • J.F. Dastur (1886–1971), a colleague of Butler, was the first Indian plant pathologist to conduct detailed studies on plant diseases, particularly those caused by the genus Phytophthora. His work on castor and potato diseases was globally recognized.
  • G.S. Kulkarni focused on downy mildew and smuts in sugarcane and pearl millet.
  • B.B. Mundkur worked on cotton wilt control through varietal resistance and contributed significantly to the identification and classification of Indian smut fungi. He also founded the Indian Phytopathological Society in 1948 and launched its journal, Indian Phytopathology.
  • Dr. K.C. Mehta of Agra College conducted pioneering work on the life cycle of cereal rusts in India.
  • Dr. R. Prasada continued rust research and expanded knowledge on linseed rust.
  • Luthra and Sattar (1953) developed the solar heat treatment for wheat seed to control loose smut.

• Other Notable Contributions:
  • S.N. Dasgupta conducted exhaustive studies on black tip of mango.
  • T.S. Sadasivan researched the mechanism of cotton wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum.
  • M.K. Patel, V.P. Bhide, and G. Rangaswami made significant contributions to bacterial plant pathogens.
  • M.J. Thirumalachar carried out research on rusts and smuts and developed antibiotics for controlling plant diseases in India.

• Later Developments:
  • Plant pathology became a major subject in agricultural colleges and universities, leading to organized research on various plant diseases affecting crops in India.

• Notable Researchers:
  • B.L. Chona focused on sugarcane diseases.
  • R.K. Agrawala researched apple diseases.
  • G.S. Saharan worked on oilseed plant diseases.
  • Agnihothrudu was noted for his work on tea diseases.