Root Wilt Disease:
Phytoplasma-induced root wilt disease has destroyed large tracts of traditional coconut-growing areas in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala States.
- Root Wilt Disease is caused by phytoplasma (bacteria) is one of the most devasting diseases of coconut palms.
- It is classified as a non-fatal disease of coconut palm and was first identified more than a century and a half ago in Erattupetta in Kerala.
- It is not lethal; but it debilitates the production potential of the palms.
- The disease spreads through insect vectors, aided by the movement of wind and uninterrupted stretches of coconut plantations.
- The root (wilt) disease occurs in all major soil types but the spread is faster in sandy, sandy loam and alluvial soil.
- Factors accelerating spread: Erratic temperatures, especially extremes, and the rise of new sucking pests, particularly whiteflies, have significantly accelerated its spread.
- Symptoms of Root Wilt Disease:
- Tapering of terminal portion of the trunk
- Reduction of leaf size
- Abnormal bending or Ribbing of leaf lets termed as flaccidity.
- Flowering is delayed and also yield is considerably reduced.
- The characteristic symptom is the flaccidity of leaflets.
- The tree quickly becomes unproductive, sheds all its nuts, and assumes a distorted appearance.
- Breeding resistant and tolerant varieties remains one of the most successful tools for managing phytoplasma.
