Large and Small Cardamom: Diseases, Symptoms and Pest Management

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Large cardamom : Diseases and Symptoms Seedling rot Chirkey disease Foorkey disease Leaf blight IPM for Large Cardamom Seedling...

Large cardamom : Diseases and Symptoms

Seedling rot

Disease symptoms

Leaves turn pale and their tips become yellow. Gradually, these symptoms spread over the entire leaf extending to leaf sheath resulting in wilting of seedlings.
The collar portion decays and the entire seedlings die. Infection spreads in the nursery beds resulting in death of seedlings in small patches.
In grown up seedlings, rotting extends from the collar region to the rhizomes resulting in their decay and ultimate death of the plant.

Survival and spread

Seed, Soil and Water

Favourable conditions

High humidity, high soil moisture, cloudiness and low temperatures below 24° C for few days are ideal for infection and development of disease.
Crowded seedlings, dampness due to high rainfall, poor drainage and excess of soil solutes hamper plant growth and increase the pathogenic damping-off.

Chirkey disease

Disease symptoms

The disease is characterized by mosaic appearance on leaves. The symptom is more prominent on young emerged leaves where discrete pale green to yellow longitudinal strips running parallel to each other can be seen. The flowering is greatly reduced thereby reducing the yield with time

Survival and spread

The fungus survives in soil as well as crop debris.

Favourable condition

Lack of phyto-sanitation to destroy the insect vector, presence of infected old plants in garden.

Foorkey disease

Disease symptoms

The affected plants produce profuse stunted shoots which fail to produce flowers. The leaves become small, lightly curled and pale green in colour. The inflorescence becomes stunted, thereby producing no flowers and fruits. The capsule size reduced and chaffy without seeds

Survival and spread

The fungus survives in soil as well as crop debris.

Favourable condition

Lack of phyto-sanitation to destroy the insect vector, presence of infected old plants in garden.

Leaf blight

Disease symptoms

Water-soaked lesions appear on the leaf margin or on the tips of the leaves which rapidly enlarges, coalesce and cover the entire leaf lamina giving blighted appearance. The advancing lesions are blackish-brown in colour and margins have a yellow halo around it. The affected leaves become necrotic and dry. Leaf sheath covering the pseudostem shows blackish-brown discolouration which progress down to the rhizome and gradually the pseudostem becomes brittle and breaks in the middle or at the collar region. Eventually, the affected clump dries up completely giving the entire plant a burnt appearance

Survival and spread

The fungus survives in soil as well as crop debris.

Favourable condition

Inadequate shade leval, lack of field sanitation and nutrient management. The cardamom crop is grown as monoculture crop ever since its introduction which has provided favourable condition for building up of the pests and pathogen in the long run

IPM for Large Cardamom

To know the IPM practices for Large Cardamom, click here.

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

3.06

108 ratings

Large cardamom Pests

Pest of Major Significance

Pests of Minor Significance

IPM for Large Cardamom

Pest of Major Significance

Insect pests

Leaf eating caterpillar: Artona chorista (Jordon,) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)
Banana aphid: Pentalonia nigronervosa (Goot) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Shoot fly: Merochlorops dimorplrus (Cherian) (Diptera: Chloropidae)

Diseases

Chirkey virus disease
Foorkey virus disease
Wilt: Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. emend. Snyder & Hansen
Seedling rot & collar rot: Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. Emend. Snyder & Hansen

Weeds

Grasses

Bermuda grass: Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers (Poaceae)
Switchgrass: Panicum sp (Poaceae)
Crowfoot grass: Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd, (Poaceae)
Large crabgrass: Digiteria sanguinalis (L.) (Poaceae)
Common barnyardgras: Echinocholoa crus-galli (L.), E. colona (Poaceae)
Goosegrass: Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertner. (Poaceae)
Wrinkled duck-beak: Ischaemum rugosum Salisb. (Poaceae)
Signalgrass: Brachiaria sp (Poaceae)
Torpedograss: Panicum repens L. (Poaceae)
Southern cutgrass: Leersia hexandra, Swartz (Poaceae)

Broadleaf

Pigweed: Amaranthus viridis Hook. F. (Amaranthaceae)
Lesser swine-cress:Coronopus didymus (L.) Sm.( Brassicaceae)
Black nightshade: Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae)
False amaranth:Digera arvensis Forssk. (Amaranthaceae)
Common purslane:Portulaca oleracea L.( Portulacaceae)
Goat weed: Ageratum conyzoides L. (Asteraceae)
Broadleaf woodsorrel: Oxalis latifolia Kunth, (Oxalidaceae)
False daisy:Eclipta alba, (L.) Hassk. Asteraceae
Cock's comb: Celosia argentea L. (Amaranthaceae)
Asthma herb/Spurge: Euphorbia hirta L. (Euphorbiaceae)
Yellow spider flower: Cleome viscosa L. (Capparidaceae)
Carrot grass: Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae)

Sedges

Purple nutsedge: Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae)
Flat sedge: Cyperus iria L (Cyperaceae)

Nematode

Root knot nematode: Meloidogyne incognita

Pests of Minor Significance

Insect pests

Hairy caterpillar: Eupterote spp. (Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae)
Aphid: Micromyzus kalimpongensis (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Maize aphid: Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch, (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Stem borer: Glyphipterix spp (Lepidoptera: Glyphipterigidae)
Leaf thrips: Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis Bouche, Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
Lace-wing bug: Stephanitis typica Distant, (Hemiptera: Tingidae)
White grub: Holotrichia sp, (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Green beetle: Basilepta femorata, Jacob, (Coleoptera: Eumolpidae)
Rhizome weevil: Prodioctes haematicus Cherro Jat, (Curculionidae :Coleoptera)

Diseases

Flower rot: Fusarium & Rhizoctonia sp.
Leaf spot: Pestalotiopsis versicolor, (Speg.) Steyaert,
Leaf streak: Pestalotiopsis roynae, Speg
Leaf blight: Colletotrichum sp.

IPM for Large Cardamom

To know the IPM practices for Large Cardamom, click here.

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

3.06

113 ratings

Large cardamom: Insect and Pests Management

Leaf thrips

Biology

Egg: The adult female lays eggs on the leaf or fruit surface. Just before hatching the egg blisters. The eggs are white and banana-shaped and are inserted singly in plant tissue
Larva: The early larval stage is whitish with red eyes. Larvae become yellowish after feeding. Mature larvae average about 1 mm in length. There are two larval instars and then it moults to the prepupal stage which is light yellow with red eyes and short wing pads
Pupa: The pupal stage is slightly larger, with longer wing pads and larger eyes. It is yellowish and then darkens with age. The antennae are bent backward over the head in the pupal stage. The prepupal and pupal stages do not feed.
Adult: As it matures into an adult, the greenhouse thrips' head and thorax darken to black while the abdomen changes from yellow, yellow-red, brown, and black. Cool temperatures retard the color changes. The legs remain a light yellow, and the antenna has eight segments. The greenhouse thrips is parthenogenic, in that it reproduces without mating, and males are seldom seen. It is a poor flier and remains in the shaded areas on the plant almost all the time.

Damage symptoms

This pest feeds primarily on the foliage of ornamental plants.
It attacks the lower surface first and, as feeding progresses and the population increases, the thrips move to the upper surface.
The leaves become discoloured and develop distortion between the lateral veins.
Severely damaged leaves turn yellow

Natural enemies of leaf thrips

Parasitoid: Megaphragma mymaripenne,
Predators: Predatory thrips (Franklinothrips orizabensis, F. vespiformis, Leptothrips mali)

Rhizome weevil

Biology

Egg: Eggs are laid in cavities made on rhizome. Egg period 8 -10 days
Grub: Larvae feed inside the rhizome, larval period 21 days. Pupate in the feeding tunnels
Pupa: pupal period 21 days. Adult is a brown weevil, 12 mm in length
Adult: is a brow weevil, live for 7 – 8 months. Only one generation in a year.

Damage symptoms

Grubs tunnel and feed on the rhizome causing death of entire clumps of cardamom.

Aphid

Biology

Egg: Eggs are kidney shaped laid singly in the tender part of the leaf sheath, racemes
Nymph: Nymphs tiny, slender, fragile and straw yellow in colour
Adult: Minute, dark greyish brown, 1.25 to 1.5 mm long and with fringed wings.

Damage symptoms

Panicles become stunted
Shedding of flowers and immature capsules thus reducing the total number of capsules formed.
Infestation causes formation of corky encrustations on capsule resulting in their malformed and shriveled condition.
Such pods lack their fine aroma and the seeds within are also poorly developed.

Natural enemies of aphid

Parasitoids: Aphidius colemani, Aphelinus spp.
Predators: Lacewing, ladybird beetle, spider, syrphid larva.

Hairy caterpillar

Biology

Egg: 300 – 800 eggs are laid on the under surface of leaves of shade trees. Egg period 13 – 20 days.
Larva: Larva is hairy and has a dark – grey body, pale brown head. Larva undergoes 10 instars in 5 months.
Pupa: Pupate in soil at a depth of 2 – 2.5 inch, pupa is cocoon, pupal period 7– 8 months.
Adult: The adult is a large moth measuring 70 -80 mm, ochrus in colour with post medial lines on the wings.

Damage symptoms

The caterpillars congregate on the trunks of shade trees and then descend to the cardamomplants.
They feed voraciously the leaves of cardamom plants, defoliating within a short time.

White grub

Biology

Eggs: Adult beetles emerge by March-April and lay their eggs in the soil. The eggs are soft, ellipsoid, off-white, and about 1 mm long on the longest axis.
Grubs: The larvae are fat, whitish or cream coloured grubs, and generally about 38 mm long when fully grown. The newly-hatched grubs emerge during June-August and continue to develop up to October/November. During this period, the feeding grubs are found in the top 6 inches of the soil but may move deeper when the soil is very dry. The larvae feed on plant roots and organic matter in the soil.
Adults: The adults are typical chafer beetles, mostly brown, and 19-20 mm long.

Damage symptoms

Affected plants show yellowing of the foliage, scorching of leaves, defoliation and dieback.
Inspection of the root system will reveal that the roots have been chewed off leaving calloused stumps. H. disparilis also feeds on the at soil level, causing of the stem followed by death of the plants

Natural enemies of white grub

Nematode: Heterorabditis nematode.

Root knot nematode

Biology

Most species of plant parasitic nematodes have a relatively simple life cycle consisting of the egg, four larval stages and the adult male and female. They are microscopic in size.
Development of the first stage larvae occurs within the egg where the first moult occurs. Under suitable environmental conditions, the eggs hatch and new larvae emerge to complete the life cycle within 4 to 8 weeks depending on temperature.
Nematode development is generally most rapid within an optimal soil temperature range of 70 to 80°F.

Damage symptoms

Poor germination of seeds in the primary nurseries.
Poor establishment after transplanting to secondary nurseries or main field.
Yellowing and drying of leaf tips and margins
Stunting and poor growth of the plants.
Heavy galling and abnormal branching of roots.

Survival and spread

Primary: Egg masses in infected plant debris and soil or collateral and other hosts like Solonaceous, Malvaceous and Leguminaceous plants act as sources of inoculum
Secondary: Autonomous second stage juveniles that may also be water dispersed

IPM for Large Cardamom

To know the IPM practices for Large Cardamom, click here.

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

3.06

103 ratings

Large cardamom: Crop Stage-wise IPM

Management	Activity
Pre-sowing*
	Common cultural practices: • Deep ploughing of fields during summer to control nematodes population and weeds. • Soil solarization • Timely sowing should be done. • Field sanitation, rogueing. • Destroy the alternate host plants • Apply manures and fertilizers as per soil test recommendations. • Plant tall border crops like maize, sorghum or millet to reduce pests population. • Crop rotation with graminaceous crops • Adopt ecological engineering by growing the attractant, repellent, and trap crops around the field bunds. Common biological control: • Apply neem cake @ 100 Kg/acre at the time of transplanting for reducing capsule borer damage
Nursery stage
Nematode	• Change the nursery site every year to avoid nematode infestation. • Soil solarization may be practiced • Apply well rotten farm yard manure
Seed selection	• Use only seeds from certified nurseries/plantations with a productivity of 400 kg/acre for three consecutive years • Select the seeds or clumps from disease free healthy plants. • Select variety which suits to particular altitude area and locality
Chirkey & foorkey viral diseases	Cultural control: • Regular survey of the plantation to trace out diseased plants. • Remove diseased plants completely along with rhizome &roots and destroy as soon as they are traced. • Use healthy disease free planting material preferably seedlings. • Do not raise nurseries in the vicinity of infected plantations. • Destroy all the collateral host plants of the aphids in and near the plantation.
Leaf thrips**	Cultural control: • Its incidence is more in cardamom seedling at lower altitude during April to November. • Collect and destroy the infested leaves. Biological control: Predators: Anthocoris and Orius spp., predatory thrips (Aeolothripsintermedius, Mymarothripsgaruda),Chrysoperlacarnea, Malladasp, praying mantids, lady bird beetles, syrphid flies, spiders etc.
Weeds	• Line sowing of seeds in 15-25 cm raised primary nursery at 10 cm distance and use mulch with local plant materials upto germination of the seeds that is 25-30 days. After that remove the mulch. • Remulch the primary nursery interole space with chopped paddy straw and leaves. • Remove weeds manually from time to time. • When seeding attain 3-4 leaf stage, they are transplanted to secondary nursery beds of 15 cm height and 100 cm width in May- June at 15 cm row spacing. • The inter row space in secondary nursery is also mulched with chopped paddy straw or dried leaf for 12 to 13 months. • Alternatively, sucker multiplication nursery may be established under the shade of forest trees/ pandals in tranches of 30x30 cm during May - June by planting the suckers from healthy plantation. Remove weeds in this nursery from time to time. The grown up tillers from buds are ready for planting in the main fields in June- July.
Watering	• Over watering may be avoided
Nutrients	• Nutrients should be applied on the basis of soil test report and recommendation for the particular agro-climatic zone. • For rhizome multiplication in nursery, use organic matter rich top soil or add organic manures.
Plantation stage
Shade	• Large cardamom is a shade loving crop, maintain optimum shade
Nutrients	• Apply well decomposed farm yard manure. • Apply chemical fertilizers based on soil test @ 40:60 :40 kg N2P205 and K2O per kg in two splits - once in April-May on receipt of 1 summer-shower and '2nd split in September- October before monsoon is over • Dig pits of 30 cm x 30 cm x 30cm size and fill with organic manure and top soil. Contour planting may be done in sloppy areas. • Application of well decomposed FYM or compost and 100 g of rock phosphate with the topsoil in the pit will help in proper establishment and quick growth of plants. • If the selected site is a hill slope, terraces may be formed before digging pits.
Weed	• Maintain weed free plantation. • Destroy all the weeds from planting area by ploughing during summer and remove all the perennial weeds and their rhizomes/suckers before onset of monsoon.
Mulching and Earthing up	• Thick mulching with dry leaves/grass may be done on the base of the rhizome to keep the soil moist • In old plantations, earthing up is necessary to cover exposed roots and rhizomes of the plants
Leaf eating caterpillar	Cultural control: • Collect and destroy infested leaves along with larvae in June-July and October-December months. • Community approach of mechanical control may be adopted in the locality when the outbreak is observed. It may totally suppress this pest in the course of 2-3 years. Biological control: • Follow common cultural practices.
Aphids**	Cultural control: • The removal and destruction of diseased plants arehelpful in control of further spread of disease and in reduction of aphid population. • Destroy wild Amomum, Colocasia; Curcuma and other , collateral host plants of the aphid vector in and near the plantations
Shoot fly	Cultural control: • Its damage is more in first 2-3 years after planting. Therefore, regularly monitor the new plantations. • Remove infested young shoots at ground level and destroy
Stem borer**	Cultural control: • Remove and destroy the infested shoots based on 'dead heart' symptoms
White grub**	Cultural control: • Mechanical collection of adult beetles during the emergence period is an effective method in managing the pest. Biological control: • Entomogenous fungus, Metarhizium is also effective
Chirkey & foorkey disease	Cultural control: • Regular survey of the plantation to trace out diseased plants. • Remove completely diseased plants along with rhizome &roots and destroy as soon as they are traced. • Use healthy disease free planting material preferably seedlings. • Do not raise nurseries in the vicinity of infected plantations. • Destroy all the collateral host plants of the aphids in and near the plantation.
Wilt disease	Cultural control: • Planting in swampy or dry areas may be avoided. • Collect and destroy(by burning or burying ) the affected plants .
Flower rot**	Cultural control: • Avoid the accumulation of leaf mass or waste plant parts over the inflorescence/spike during rainy season. • Spills of soil over 1hc spike may be avoided at the time ofbase making by pouring soil to the plant base. • Collect and bury affected flowers/spikes
Vegetative
Weeds	• Around the base of pits, weeds should be removed with the help of sickles. • Hand tool weeding should be carried out 3 times in during March, July and August in a year for effective control of weeds or • Slash weeding may be done by using power mover/weeder. • After establishment of plantation, inter crops with regional recommended crop like turmeric may be grown to utilize the inter space of 1.5 to 1.8 meter between 2 rows during intial years.
Flowering
	• Encourage the population of bumble bees which are the main pollinators and also help to increase the yield. • Remove mulch from inflorescences/spikes during rainy season • Spraying should be taken during afternoon when the pollinators activities arc minimum
Weeds	• Hand tool weeding should be carried out or slash weeding may be done by using power mover/weeder.
Harvesting
	• Harvest at the right maturity of the capsules at different altitudes to avoid the damage by rats and wild cats etc.
Weeds	• Left over weeds may be remove before shedding of seeds to check their spread in subsequent years.
Note: The pesticide dosages and spray fluid volumes are based on high volume sprayer. ** Pests of miner significance

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

3.07

98 ratings

Nutritional Deficiencies/Disorders of Large cardamom

Potassium

Older leaves show chlorosis.
The symptoms start from margins and become necrotic brown colour.
Drying starts from leaf tip towards base.
Leaf become pale green and turns yellow with scorching appearance.

Correction Measure: Foliar spray of K₂SO₄ @1% at fortnightly intervals.

IPM for Large Cardamom

To know the IPM practices for Large Cardamom, click here.

Source: NIPHM and Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

3.04

143 ratings

Small cardamom: Diseases and Symptoms

‘Katte disease’ (mosaic or marble disease)

Disease symptoms

The first visible symptom appears on the youngest leaf of the affected tiller as spindle shaped slender chlorotic flecks measuring 2-5 mm in length.
Later these flecks develop into pale green discontinuous stripes. The stripes run parallel to the vein from the midrib to leaf margin.
All the subsequently emerging new leaves show characteristic mosaic symptoms with chlorotic and green stripes. As the leaf matures, the mosaic symptoms are more or less masked.
Disease is systemic in nature and it gradually spreads to all the tillers in a clump.
Younger plants express symptoms earlier than grown up clumps. Infected clumps are stunted and smaller in size with a few slender tillers and shorter panicles.
Katte infected plants continue to survive for many years and serve as sources of inoculum.
If the plants are infected in the seedling stage or the same year of planting the loss will be total. In bearing clumps, the loss will be upto 68% in three years after infection (the loss will be even more at later stages).

Survival and spread

It spreads through aphid vector Pentalonia caladii.

Primary nursery leaf spot

Disease symptoms

Disease appears as small round or oval spots, which are dull, white in colour.
These spots later become necrotic and leave a hole (shot hole) in the center.
The spots may be surrounded by water soaked area. High intensity of disease is noticed in open nurseries exposed to direct sunlight.
In such cases, numerous spots develop on the leaves. Appears mostly during February to April with receipt of summer rains.

Survival and spread

High intensity of disease is noticed in open nurseries exposed to direct sunlight.

Favorable conditions

High humidity or persistent dew.

Capsule rot/azhukal disease

Disease symptoms

The disease appears during the rainy season.
On the infected leaves, water soaked lesions appear fi rst followed by rotting and shredding of leaves along the veins.
The infected capsules become dull greenish brown and decay. This emits a foul smell and subsequently shed.
Infection spreads to the panicles and tillers resulting in their decay.

Survival and spread

The disease spreads through soil, water and wind.

Favourable conditions

Continuous rain fall and high relative humidity.

Nursery leaf rot

Disease symptoms

Development of water soaked lesions on the leaves, which later become necrotic patches leading to decay of affected areas. Usually the leaf tip and distal portions are damaged.
In severe cases rotting extends to petiole and leaf sheaths also

Survival and spread

This disease is seen in young seedlings of three to four months old. It is not wide spread in occurrence; but seen only in a few nurseries.

Favourable conditions

Excessive soil moisture, high humidity or overcrowding of seedlings.

Damping off /seedling rot

Disease symptoms

Leaves turn pale and their tips become yellow. Gradually, these symptoms spread over the entire leaf extending to leaf sheath resulting in wilting of seedlings.
The collar portion decays and the entire seedlings die. Infection spreads in the nursery beds resulting in death of seedlings in small patches.
In grown up seedlings, rotting extends from the collar region to the rhizomes resulting in their decay and ultimate death of the plant

Survival and spread

Seed, soil and Water

Favourable conditions

High humidity, high soil moisture, cloudiness and low temperatures below 24° C for few days are ideal for infection and development of disease.
Crowded seedlings, dampness due to high rainfall, poor drainage and excess of soil solutes hamper plant growth and increase the pathogenic damping-off.

Clump rot or rhizome rot

Disease symptoms

Decay of the tillers starting from the collar region and toppling of tillers.
Affected tillers can be pulled out with little force and the discoloration of the basal portion of clump can be seen.
Early symptoms on leaves appear as pale yellow colour, partial of leaf margins and withering. Rotting or decay starts at the collar region and it spreads to rhizomes and roots.
In severe cases, the collar region breaks off and the seedling collapse.

Survival and spread

Below 24° C for few days are ideal for infection and development of disease.

Favourable conditions:

High humidity, high soil moisture, cloudiness and low temperatures.

Cardamom necrosis/nilgiri necrosis

Disease symptoms

Young leaves exhibit whitish to yellowish continuous or broken streaks proceeding from the midrib to the leaf margins and later turn reddish brown. Often leaf shredding is noticed.
The affected plants are stunted and fail to bear the panicles and capsules.

Survival and spread

The disease spreads mainly through infected planting material.

Cardamom vein clearing or Kokke kandu

Disease symptoms

Its characteristic symptom “hook- like tiller” it is locally called as “Kokke Kandu”.
The characteristic symptoms are continuous or discontinuous intraveinal clearing, stunting, rosetting, loosening of leaf sheath, shredding of leaves and clear mottling on stem.
Clear light green patches with three shallow grooves are seen on the immature capsules.
Cracking of fruits and partial sterility of seeds are other associated symptoms.

Survival and spread

Transmitted through cardamom aphid, P. caladii in a semi persistent manner.

Primary: Alate viruliferous vectors and infected plant materials.
Secondary: Alate forms of aphid

Secondary nursery leaf spot/Cercospora leaf spot

Disease symptoms

The Cercospora leaf spots are found in the nursery and plantations in the form of rectangular muddy red stripes running along the veins.
The Sphaceloma leaf spot is seen in main plantation as scattered spherical blotches on the leaves. These start as small spots measuring a few mm and later several spots coalesce to from larger areas.
Leaf rust is often seen on mature leaves as whitish powdery pustules on the under surface of the leaves with corresponding yellow necrotic patches
On the upper surface. Diseased leaves show a rusty appearance.

Survival and spread

Disease appears mostly during February- April months with the receipt of summer showers.

Chenthal disease/capsule brown spot

Disease symptoms

Initially the symptoms appear as small water soaked rectangular lesions on the leaves which, later elongate to form parallelly arranged streaks and turn to yellowish brown to orange red in colour.
The central portions become necrotic.

Survival and spread

The disease intensity is found to be severe in open areas where shade is inadequate
The disease which appears during mid- monsoon, becomes severe during late monsoon periods.

Favourable conditions

Intermittent rains and prevalence of misty conditions.