A total of 22 fungicides were evaluated in vitro for their efficacy against Cylindrocladium quinqueseptatum (CQ), C. ilicicola (CI), C. floridanum (CF), C. parvum (CP) and C. camelliae (CC) causing various diseases of Eucalyptus in Kerala, India. Though there were a number of fungicides effective (ED100) in the comdial germination and poisoned food techniques, only carbendazim provided complete inhibition of CQ, CI and CC in the soil‐fungicide screening technique; carbendazim was also highly effective against CF and CP. C. ilicicola appeared to be more tolerant than other species of Cylindrocladium as only a few fungicides were found to be effective against it even in the conidial germination technique. On comparison of the three fungicidal evaluation techniques, it is concluded that, for a pathogen producing microsclerotia, like Cylindrocladium, the soil‐fungicide screening technique is the most appropriate one for obtaining reliable results. Copyright {\textcopyright} 1991, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved