Viral Diseases of Cardamom (Elettaria Cardamomum Maton) and Their Management
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Journal of Spices & Aromatic Crops 4 (J) : 32-39, 1995 32 Viral diseases of cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) and their management M N VENUGOPAL National Research Centre for Spices Cardamom Research Station Appangala, Madikeri - 571 201, Karnataka, India. ABSTRACT Small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) is affected by many diseases which have been identified as a major production constraint. Among the viral diseases 'katte' or mosaic is the major viral disease causing severe yield losses to an extent of 68 per cent. In addition, Nilgiri necrosis, infectious variegation virus and 'kokke kandu' diseases are gaining importance in recent years. The present paper reviews the information available on distribution of viral diseases, symptomatology, crop loss, transmission, etiology, host range and disease management. The future plan of work on aspects such as breeding for disease resistance through genetic engineering, virus characterization and early detection methods are indicated. Key words : cardamom, control measures, Elettaria cardamomum, viral diseases. Introduction many fungal, bacterial and viral dis eases (Agnihotrudu 1987). The virus Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum diseases affecting cardamom are mosaic Maton) is one of the important spices or 'katte' Nilgiri necrosis, infectious used for flavouring food and beverages. variegation and cardamom vein clear In India cardamom is cultivated in an ing virus or 'kokke kandu'. Among these area of about 81,113 ha in Kerala, .'katte' caused by cardamom mosaic Karnataka and Tamil N adu (Spices virus (poty virus) is the most important Board(1991). Kerala accounts for 60 per disease and causes severe yield losses to cent of the cultivation and production cardamom in India (Buchanan 1807). Of 'followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. late a new virus disease, cardamom vein Cardamom is grown at higher altitudes clearing 'kokke kandu', which means with perennial shade canopy, heavy hooked tiller in Kannada was reported rainfall and humid conditions which are from many plantations in Karnataka also congenial for the occurrence of posing a serious threat to cardamom , Viral diseases of cardamom 33 cultivation. A review of the work done stripes of green tissue almost evenly on viral diseases of cardamom and distributed over the entire lamina future prospects for diagnosis and man (Uppal, Varma & Capoor 1945). Often agement are dealt with here. mosaic type of mottling is seen on the , leaf sheaths and young pseudostems. l\1osaic or 'katte' disease The infection is systemic in nature and Mosaic disease is locally known as it gradually spreads to all the tillers in 'katte' meaning a disorder and is known a plant. In the advanced stage the ,as marble disease in Anamalais (Varma affected plants produce shorter and & Capoor 1953). slender tillers with few shorter panicles Distribution and degenerate gradually. Earliest refer.ence of 'katte' dates back Transmission to 1900 (Mollison 1900). In South India, 'katte' is widely distributed in. all the The virus is not transmitted through cardamom growing tracts with inci seed, soil, root to root contact and dence ranging from 0.01 to 99.0 per cent through manual operations (Thomas (Mayne 1951). 1938; Rao 1977 a & b). The only method of dissemination of virus is by means Crop loss of banana aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa Coq.) and also through The loss in yield due to the disease infected rhizomes. The first experimen depends upon the stage of the crop at tal transmission of 'katte' virus in India the time of infection and duration that was obtained with the banana aphid the plants have been infected. If the (Uppal, Varma & Capoot 1945). So far plants are infected in the seedling stage 13 aphid species namely, Aphis or early pre-bearing stage, the loss will craccivora Koch., A. gossypii Glover, A. be almost total (Samraj 1970). In nerii B.' de. F., A. rumicis L., monocrop situations, the infection on Brachycaudus helichrysi L., Greenidia bearing plants reduced the yield to 38 artocarpi W., Macrosiphum pisi Kalt., per cent, during the same year of M. rosaeformis Das, M. sonchi L., infection. 62 per cent in the second year Schizaphis cyperi van der Goot, S. of infection, and 68.7 per cent in the gramimum Rondm., Pentalonia third year of infection (Venugopal & mgronervosa f. typic a and P. N aidu 1984). Total decline of plants nigronervosa f. caladii van der Goot occurs after 3-5 years of infection, were reported to transmit 'katte' virus Symptomatology (Varma & Capoor 1958; Rao & Naidu 1974). The first visible symptom appears on Virus-vector relationship the youngest leaf of the affected tiller as slender chlorotic flecks measuring 2- It was earlier believed that the aphids 5 mm in length. Later these flecks on. banana and cardamom were the develop into pale green discontinuous same. Later, it was found that the P. stripes. These stripes run parallel to the nigronervosa f. typica breeds on vein from the mid rib to leaf margin. All Musaceae and P. nigronervosa f. caladii subsequently emerging new leaves show breeds on cardamom, colacasia and characteristic mosaic symptoms with caladium (Siddappaji & Reddy 1972). ·Venugopal 34 The aphid population is seen through preparations of six strains also revealed out the year with one or two peaks in homogenous flexuous particles. Pres_ November - May and the population is ence of inclusion bodies was also re drastically reduced during monsoon ported from leaf tissues of 'katte' in season. Nymphs of all the instars are fected plants. Based on the morphology capable of transmitting the virus (Raj an of virus particles and presence of inclu_ 1981). The bimodal transmission was sionbodies it was suggested to include examined by using two distinct virus 'katte' virus in 'poty virus' group (N aidu, strains with respect to acquisition, Venugopal & Rajan 1985). The presence. latent period and persistence and the of three natural strains was first re non - persistence nature of cardamom ported by Rao (1977a). 'katte' virus was determined (N aidu, Epidemiology Venugopal & Rajan 1985). Clones from infected gardens, seedlings Host range and varietal resistance raised in the vicinity of infected planta Several zingiberaceous plants, namely, tion, voluntary seedlings collected from Amomum connecarpum, A. infected gardens and few infected invollucraltum, A. microstephanum, A. zingiberaceous hosts form the primary subulatum, Alpinia' neutans, A. mutica, foci of disease introduction to cardamom Curcuma neilgherrensis, Zingiber plantations. Entry of disease also OCcurs cernuum and a member of Marantaceae in contigoous and nearby plantations viz., Maranta. arundinacea were found up to 1000 m from the external inoculum infected in lab inoculation tests (Rao & source (N aidu & Venugopal1984; N aidu, Naidu 1973; Viswanath & Siddaramaiah Venugopal & Rajan 1985). 1974; Yaraguntaiah 1979 & Siddarmaiah Mter initial introduction, the spread of et al. 1986). the disease is mainly intenial and the All the 18 germplasm accessions with rate of spread is very low (Deshpande, distinct morphotypes collected from car Siddappaji & Viswanath 1972). Cen damom growing tracts of South India trifugal influx was found around pri and 27 elite selections of cardamom mary foci due to spread by the activity mutants in M1 and M2 stage were of the vector. In plantations the disease susceptible to virus infection (Rao & is concentrated within 40 m radius and Naidu 1973; Rao 1977a; Subba Rao & occasionally extending up to 90 m. The Naidu 1981). gradient of infection is steep within 40 Etiology m from initial foci and flattens there after. The first evidence of the viral nature of the disease was established in 1945 In the field the disease incubation with successful transmission of virus period varies from 20 to 114 days during through banana aphid P. nigronervosa different months and its expression is Coq. (Uppal, Varma & Capoor 1945). In· directly influenced by the growth of the India the association of virus particles plants. U suaUy young seedlings at 3-4 measuring 650 nm in length and 10-12 leaves stage express the symptoms nm in diameter were reported in dip within 15-20 days of inoculation, whereas and purified preparations (N aidu, grown up plants show symptoms within Venugopal & Rajan 1985). The purified 30-40 days during active growing period Viral diseases of cardamom 35 and 90-120 days during winter months Nilgiri necrosis disease (Naidu & Venugopal 1986). This disease waS first noticed in a Senile leaf sheaths which are natural severe form in Nilgris, Tamil N adu and . breeding sites of the vector are poor hence the name Nilgiri necrosis disease inoculum sources but the young actively · (NNV). Recent surveys revealed the growing parts serve as better sources of occurrence of the disease in new pockets inoculum (N aidu & Venugopal 1986). in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and few areas in Karnataka. Disease management Importance Control of 'katte' is highly dependent on The disease is prevalent in some of the the use of healthy rhizomes or seedlings cardamom growing regions of Tamil for planting (Varma & Capoor 1953; N adu with an incidence ranging from Varma 1959). Healthy planting materi 7.7 to 80.0 per cent (Sridhar, als should be used for planting and gap Muthuswamy & Naidu 1990). In Kerala, filling. Periodic surveillance of the plan in some estates in Munnar and tation should be done to detect virus Thondimalai areas of Idukki an inci infection at least twice a year and dence of 4.6 and 1.46 per cent was infected plants are to be removed imme recorded, respectively. Unlike 'katte' diately (Capoor 1969). the infected plants decline very rapidly Controlling inoculum sources within the and become stunted and unproductive. infected plantation is the only means of Symptomatology disease management. Roguing is re ported to be very effective in minimizing The symptoms are seen on young leaves the spread of the disease and enhancing as whitish to yellowish continuous or the economic life of the plantation broken streaks proceeding from the (Capoor 1967 ; George 1967 & 1971; midrib to the leaf margins.