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Fifteen medicinal plants, commonly available in the region and known to possess anti-microbial properties were evaluated to ascertain their relative efficacies against Pyricularia grisea and to obtain a potential bio-pesticide for the control of blast disease of Ragi. Crude aqueous extract (10% w/v) (CALE) in general caused reduction in growth and sporulation of P. grisea in vitro. Higher fungitoxic effects (85.64, 83,82 and 79.04%) were noted in the CALE of Impatiens balsamina, Tagetes erecta and Solanum nigrum respectively. Further, the fungitoxic evaluations of CALE of these plants in pot house revealed that blast disease incidence could be reduced to 62, 57 and 37% and the grain yield could be increased to 302.47, 242.39, and 199.18 % respectively. The study indicated that the five sprays of CALE of I. balsamina or T. erecta at an interval of 15 days appear to hold promise in the management of blast disease.

Keywords: Medicinal plants, ragi, Pyricularia grisea and Blast disease