Screening for Phytoplasma in Host Plants of Spike Disease affected Sandal
S. Thomas
Division of Pathology, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur�680653, India Department of Microbiology , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Annenberg 16-2501 Gustave L., New York, NY-10029, USA.
M. Balasundaran
Division of Pathology, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur�680653, India Department of Microbiology , Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Annenberg 16-2501 Gustave L., New York, NY-10029, USA
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Spike disease caused by sandal spike phytoplasma is the major disease of sandal. Sandal being a root parasite, some of the earlier workers attributed disease transmission by the host plants. This paper reports screening for sandal spike phytoplasma in the host plants of spike disease affected sandal using immunological and molecular techniques. None of these techniques could detect the pathogen in the host plants. The results confirm that sandal spike phytoplasma is confined to sandal.
Keywords: Lantana, Sandal, Sandal spike phytoplasma, Spike disease, Zizyphus, Santalum