TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification –           –      –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication               –              –  –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgement  –              –  –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of Contents    –              –  –         –         –         –         –         –         v

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION        –         –         –         –         1

CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Botanical classification of mint plant –   –         –         –         –         3

2.2 Description and Distribution of Mint Plant – –         –         3

2.3 Cultivation of the Plant – –         –         –         –         –         4

2.4 Factors Affecting Mint Plant Growth – –         –         –         5

2.5 Chemical Constituent of the Plant – –         –         –         –         8

2.6 Pharmacological importance of Mint Plant – –         –         8

2.5.1  Antibacterial Properties   –         –         –         –         –         –         8

2.5.2  Antifungal Property         –         –         –         –         –         –         9

2.5.3  Antiviral Activity   –        –         –         –         –         –         –         10

2.5.4  Allelopathic Effects      –  –         –         –         –         –         –         11

2.6     Toxicity of Mint Plant     –         –         –         –         –         –         11

CHAPTER THREE: COMMON FUNGAL DISEASE OF MINT LEAF

3.1     Rust   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         13

3.2     Powdery Mildew                 –     –         –         –         –         –         15

3.3     Wilt   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         16

3.4     Stolon and Rot       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         18

CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1     Summary     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         21

4.2     Conclusion     –      –         –         –         –         –         –         –         21

REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE:  INTRODUCTION

Mints are group of aromatic herb belonging to family lamiaceae, which are considered to be the most important cash crop in Indo-Gangetic plains. Among different medicinal and aromatic crops mints come in the front line not only because of their pharmaceutical importance but also due to its many fold uses for the farmers. The farmer in tropical countries can grow it as a bonus crop as it fits well the cropping system with other crops like paddy, wheat, potato, sugar, cane, maize, okra, carrot, onion, spinach, pigeon, pea, cowpea, etc. this crop also generates significant employment and earns a lot of foreign exchange. The essential oils obtained by the stem, distillation of mint herbage are use in the food, pharmaceutical cosmetic and perfumery industries worldwide in recent years, interest in the cropping of mint has increased due to a surge in the international market demand for mint oils and its fraction. The mint herbs itself are used in fresh, dried, and processed forms for different flavouring food items and preparation of traditional medicine. Mints are widely cultivated on almost all types of soil and climates. The major commercially produced species are: Japanese or menthol mint (Menthe arvensis L. Var piperascens). Peppermint (M. Piperita L) common or native spearmint (M. spicata L. I, scton spearmint (M. Cardiaca Baker), garden mint (M. viridis L.) and bergamol mint (M. Citrata Ehrh). These different mint species are cultivated on an area of more than 2,50,000 ha of land in India.  Countries like India, China, USA, Japan, France, Italy, Russia, and Bulgaria are the major producers of mint oils in the world. Mints are susceptible to a variety of diseases and as with most agricultural crops; these disease impose significant production constraints that affect both yield and overall quality of the oils. Some of this disease reduce the yield of mint crops, especially when virulent forms of one or more disease attack the different mint crops spread over wide areas. Among the 30 or more pathogens recorded on mints about a dozen are of major economic importance.