Botanists at Lucknow University discover new disease in turmeric that threatens its cultivation

A team of seven research scholars from Lucknow University's Botany Department, headed by Prof Amritesh C Shukla, has discovered a new disease in the turmeric plant after three years of study. Their research has also found that this disease is among the primary factors that hamper the cultivation of turmeric in India.

The disease discovered by botanists at LU, known as the 'leaf spot' disease, adversely impacts turmeric cultivation and farmers fail to produce the expected quantity in spite of all the hard work. Furthermore, the disease also reduces curcumin levels in turmeric. And it is noteworthy that there is a huge demand for curcumin across the globe due to its medicinal qualities.

Now that this disease has been discovered, strategies can be made to prevent it in the upcoming turmeric crops in the country. With India being the largest producer and exporter of turmeric in the world, this groundbreaking study by LU Botanists can go a long way in enhancing turmeric cultivation across the country.