Central Sericultural Research and Traihing Institute, Berhampore - 742 101, India.
* Corresponding author.
** Regional Sericultural Research station, Salem - 636 001, Tamil Nadu, India.
In order to develop biological control of bacterial leaf spot (BLS) of mulbeny caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. mori, mulbeny phylloplane-fungi and bacteria were isolated and screened in vitro. Phylloplane fungi, viz., Aspergillus Ochraceus, A Bavus, A. niger, Curvularia lunata, Cladosporium oxysporum, Fusarium pallidoroseum, Paecilomyces varioti, Nigrospora orizae, did not exhibit antibiosis against X campestris pv. mori. Phylloplane bacterial strains, viz., Bacilhus sp., Micrococcus spp., exhibited antibiosis against X compestris pv. mari in vitro. Phylloplane bacteria were tested for efficacy in potted mulbeny plants against BLS. Two sprays of Bacillus sp. at 0.1 (00) at 10 dyas interval reduced bacterial leaf spot severity, which at par with Plantomycin and Pushamycin.