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UPSC » Daily News Analysis ‘Phytoplasma: The Silent Menace to India’s Coconut Palms’ : 19 January

Daily News Analysis ‘Phytoplasma: The Silent Menace to India’s Coconut Palms’ : 19 January

Table of Content

Why in News? 

  • A rapid expansion of Phytoplasma-induced Root Wilt Disease has affected over 30 lakh coconut palms across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, threatening the livelihood of millions of farmers.

Phytoplasma & Coconut Root Wilt

  • The Pathogen: Phytoplasmas are microscopic, specialized bacteria that lack cell walls. They live in the phloem (food-conducting tissue) of plants and cannot be grown in standard laboratory cultures.
  • The Disease: Known as Root Wilt Disease (RWD) or Kerala Wilt. It is a non-fatal but debilitating condition that renders palms unproductive by causing them to shed nuts and develop distorted crowns.
  • Transmission Vectors: The disease is spread by sap-sucking insects, primarily the lace-wing bug (Stephanitis typica) and the plant hopper (Proutista moesta).
  • Symptoms: Flaccidity: Abnormal inward bending or “ribbing” of leaflets (the earliest visual sign).
    • Yellowing: Leaves turn yellow and show marginal necrosis (dying tissue).
    • Root Decay: Extensive rotting of the root system, reducing water and nutrient absorption.
  • Climate Change Link: Erratic extreme temperatures and the rise of new pests like whiteflies have accelerated the spread. Heat stress also harms intercrops like cocoa and nutmeg when the coconut canopy thins out.
  • Institutional Efforts: The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) has released resistant varieties like Kalpasree and Kalparaksha and the tolerant hybrid Kalpa Sankara.