Status of Viral Diseases of Large Cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) and its Management in Sikkim and Darjeeling, West Bengal

Abstract

Field surveys were conducted in different seasons during 2012-13. Two main viral diseases namely chirke and foorkey affect the productivity of different large cardamom cultivars in Darjeeling district of West Bengal and Sikkim. Chirke is serious as far as rate of spread is concerned and Foorkey is serious as far as yield loss is concerned. Chirke is characterized by mosaic with pale streak on the leaves. The streaks turn pale brown resulting in drying, withering of leaves and finally death of the plants. The flowering in diseased plants is extensively reduced. The chirke disease is transmitted by mechanical sap inoculation and also by aphid, Ropalosiphum maidis Fitch. Excessive sprouting and formation of bushy dwarf clumps at the base of the mother plants that gradually die, characterize the foorkey disease. Numerous small tillers also appear at the base of the affected plants that become stunted and fail to give any yield. The primary spread of the disease from one area to another is through infected rhizomes and further spread within the plantation by aphids, Micromyzus kalimpongensis. For the management of viral diseases of large cardamom, resistant cultivars are essential. However, resistant cultivars to chirke and foorkey viruses are not available. The evaluation of level of resistance in the genotypes of large cardamom is prerequisite for developing resistant cultivars to chirke and foorkey viruses.

Full text

Status of Viral Diseases of Large Cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) and
its Management in Sikkim and Darjeeling, West Bengal
AK Vijayan, BA Gudade, TN Deka and P Chhetri
Indian Cardamom Research Institute (ICRI), Regional Research Station, Spices Board, Tadong, Gangtok-737 102, Sikkim, India;
E-Mail: drvijayannambiar@gmail.com
Research Article
Abstract
Field surveys were conducted in different seasons during 2012-13. Two main viral diseases namely chirke and foorkey
affect the productivity of different large cardamom cultivars in Darjeeling district of West Bengal and Sikkim. Chirke
is serious as far as rate of spread is concerned and Foorkey is serious as far as yield loss is concerned. Chirke is
characterized by mosaic with pale streak on the leaves. The streaks turn pale brown resulting in drying, withering of
leaves and finally death of the plants. The flowering in diseased plants is extensively reduced. The chirke disease is
transmitted by mechanical sap inoculation and also by aphid, Ropalosiphum maidis Fitch. Excessive sprouting and
formation of bushy dwarf clumps at the base of the mother plants that gradually die, characterize the foorkey disease.
Numerous small tillers also appear at the base of the affected plants that become stunted and fail to give any yield. The
primary spread of the disease from one area to another is through infected rhizomes and further spread within the
plantation by aphids, Micromyzus kalimpongensis. For the management of viral diseases of large cardamom, resistant
cultivars are essential. However, resistant cultivars to chirke and foorkey viruses are not available. The evaluation of
level of resistance in the genotypes of large cardamom is prerequisite for developing resistant cultivars to chirke and
foorkey viruses.
Key words: Chirke, foorkey, large cardamom, viral diseases
Citation: Vijayan AK, Gudade BA, Deka TN and Chhetri P. 2014. Status of Viral Diseases of Large Cardamom
(Amomum subulatum Roxb.) and its Management in Sikkim and Darjeeling, West Bengal. J Mycol Pl Pathol 44(4):
438-441.
Large cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.), belongs
to the family Zingiberaceae is a perennial herbaceous
spice and principal cash crop of Sikkim and Darjeeling
district of West Bengal. Crop prefers humid subtropical,
semi evergreen forests hills of eastern sub-Himalayan
region. It is also cultivated in some other North Eastern
Hill states like Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Nepal
and Bhutan are the other two Himalayan countries where
large cardamom is cultivated (Gudade et al 2014).
Sikkim is the largest producer of large cardamom and
constitute lion share of Indian and world market. It is a
shade loving plant (Sciophyte) grown in tracts with well
distributed rainfall spread around 200 days with a total
of about 3000-3500 mm/year. Deep well drained soils
with loamy texture are best suited. The large cardamom
plant is a perennial herb with subterranean rhizomes with
leafy shoots. Stem is a pseudo stem which is called tiller.
Inflorescence is spike. Generally, 30 to 40 flowers are
observed in a spike. Flowers are yellow, bisexual,
zygomorphic and pollinated by bumble bees. There are
three petals with a labellum which is mainly for
attracting insects for pollination. Anthesis occurs in the
morning hours. Ovary is inferior with ovules in axile
placentation, stigma funnel shaped; fruit is a capsule,
achinated, maroon in colour with seeds which are
whitish in immature stage and dark brown to black in
mature stage. Large cardamom is used as a spice and
also in several Ayurvedic preparations. It contains 2-3%
essential oils, possesses carnative, stomachic, diuretic
and cardiac stimulant properties and is also a remedy for
throat and respiratory trouble (Gudade et al 2013). It is a
spice crop with significant economic importance. It has
various industrial, medicinal, nutritional, culinary and
ornamental uses. This being an economically important
cash crop, there is a need to increase the area under its
cultivation for increasing the productivity of the crop in
this region (Gudade et al 2013).
Materials and Methods
Field surveys were conducted in different seasons from
July 2012 to March 2013. Secondary information was
collected by following published research papers, books
and journals related to the present study. Eighteen
numbers of large cardamom nurseries and main
plantation were surveyed and incidence of chirke and
foorkey were recorded. Number of plants observed per
field was 100.
Results and Discussion
Chirke disease infection varied from 0.5 % to 6.5 % and
foorkey disease infection varied from 0.5 % to 37.5 % in
various nurseries and main plantations in Sikkim and
Darjeeling district of West Bengal (Table 1).
J Mycol Plant Pathol, Vol. 44, No.4, 2014
438

Chirke disease of large cardamom
The virus. The viral nature of Chirke disease was first
studied by (Raychaudhuri and Chatterjee 1958). Chirke
virus has been purified and physio-chemical properties
have been worked out. The virus consists of polyhedral
particles measuring 40 nm diameters. It has a thermal
0
inactivation point of 50-60 C for 10 min, withstands a
dilution up to 1:5000 and the longevity in vitro is about
4-8 days. A new virus species large cardamom chirke
virus (LCCV) under the genus Macluravirus, family
Potyviridae has been characterized (Mandal et al, 2012).
Transmission. Chirke virus is transmitted in nature by
aphid vector, viz., Ropalosiphum maidis (Fig.3), R. padi,
Brachycaudus helichrisi and Silobion aveneae. The
disease is not transmitted through seed or soil but it is
readily transmitted through infected rhizomes as well as
by sap inoculation method.
Distribution. The virus disease is seen in all large
cardamom growing areas in the Eastern region of India,
particularly the Darjeeling district and the plantations in
Sikkim.
Symptomatology. The disease is seen on the plants as
mosaic with pale streak like spots on the unfolding
leaves (Fig.1). These spots slowly turn pale brown
resulting in leaf drying and withering of plants
(Raychaudhuri and Chatterjee, 1958). Flowering and
fruit setting of diseased plants are reduced.
Host range. Besides large cardamom, the virus infects
wheat, arrow root, ginger and the perennial weed Achorus
calamus.
Table 1. Disease incidence in large cardamom nursery and plantation
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Mean viral disease incidence
_______________________________________________
No. of plantation/ Chirke Foorkey
S.No. Location ______________________ ______________________
nursery surveyed
Nursery Plantation Nursery Plantation
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
1 Todey, Darjeeling dist. 6 2.0 0.0 2.67 0.0
West Bengal (0.0-6.0) (0.0-8.0)
2 Pala, Darjeeling dist. 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
West Bengal
3 Keram, Darjeeling dist. 5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
West Bengal
4 Tangta, Lava, Darjeeling dist. 7 0.0 0.43 0.0 0.0
West Bengal (0.0-3.0)
5 Kabi, North Sikkim 4 0.0 3.50 2.25 0.5
(0.0-8.0) (0.0-9.0) (0.0-1.0)
6 Pangthang, East Sikkim 4 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0
(0.0-2.0)
7 Singtam, Makha, East Sikkim 1 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
8 Singhik, North Sikkim 2 0.0 0.5 0.0 0.0
(0.0-1.0)
9 Tingvong, North Sikkim 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10 Toong, North Sikkim 1 0.0 1.0 0.0 0.0
11 Rongli, East Sikkim 2 0.0 6.5 0.0 37.5
12 Jorethang, South Sikkim 1 0.0 3.0 0.0 1.0
13 Kalimpong, West Bengal 2 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0
14 Dzongu , North Sikkim 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
15 Phudong, North Sikkim 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
16 Dalapchand, East Sikkim 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
17 Lingdok, East Sikkim 2 5.5 0.0 0.0 28.0
(5.0-6.0) (26.0-30.0)
18 Mulsakyong, Darjeeling Dist. 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 18.0
West Bengal (16.0-20.0)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Figures in bracket are range of incidence
J Mycol Plant Pathol, Vol. 44, No.4, 2014 439

Figure 1. Chirke disease of large cardamom Figure 2. Foorkey disease of large cardamom
Figure 3. Aphid vector Rophalosiphum maidis Fitch of
chirke disease on large cardamom
Figure 4. Aphid vector (Mollitrichosiphum sp.) of
foorkey disease colonized on Utis (Alnus nepalensis),
the shade tree of large cardamom
20 flowers in healthy panicles. The yield reduction is
about 85 percent within three years after infection.
Disease management. Production and use of virus-free
planting materials, removal of infected host plants,
creating awareness, preventing the movement of
diseased planting materials to check introduction of
viruses, regular phytosanitation, removal of virus
sources, early detection through ELISA and use of chirke
Epidemiology. The primary spread of the disease is
through infected rhizomes and further spread in the
plantation is through aphid vectors. Ganguly (1966)
developed a serological detection test for Chirke
infection using agglutination technique with antiserum
developed against the virus.
Crop loss. Flowering in affected plants is greatly
reduced and only one to five flowers develop against 16-
J Mycol Plant Pathol, Vol. 44, No.4, 2014
440

disease resistant varieties are the methods/approaches
required to manage the disease in nurseries and plantations.
Foorkey disease of large cardamom
The virus. Little work has been done on morphology
and characterization of the virus. The virus belongs to
the genus Nanovirus and family Nanoviridae (Mandal et
al., 2004).
Transmission. The Foorkey disease is not transmitted by
seed, soil or mechanical means, but through vectors, viz;
banana black aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa,
Micromyzus kalimpongensis (Raychaudhuri and
Chatterjee, 1958, Basu and Ganguly, 1968) and
Mollitrichosiphum sp. Utis (Alnus nepalensis)isan
important shade tree for large cardamom plantations. The
aphid Mollitrichosiphum sp. (Fig.4) is commonly found
observed on the twigs of the utis in the large cardamom
ecosystem (Anon. 2014).
It is transmitted in a persistent manner, means the virus
can survive inside the aphid for a long time after
acquisition feeding on infected plants. The virus also
spread primarily through infected rhizomes.
Distribution. The disease is extensively found in the
Kalimpong, Algarah and Pedong area of Darjeeling dist,
West Bengal.
Symptomatology. The symptoms of the disease are
characteristic, i.e., pronounced stunting and formation of
numerous minute tillers which fail to form inflorescence.
The tillers do not grow beyond a few inches in height
and appear bushy (Fig. 2).
Host range. It is known to confine only in large
cardamom.
Epidemiology. No work has been done on disease
epidemiology of the virus.
Crop loss. Once infected with Foorkey disease the crop
fails to flower, resulting in a total loss in the first year.
Varma and Capoor (1964) recorded crop damages
ranging from 8.7 to 93.9 percent.
Disease management. Little work has been done in this
aspect. Knowledge on host range, disease epidemiology,
nature of virus, inoculums source would help in
managing the viral diseases and to increase the
productivity of large cardamom plantations.
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to Director (Research), Indian
Cardamom Research Institute, Spices Board, Govt. of
India, Cochin, Kerala for providing facilities to conduct
the research work. Thanks are also due to Network
Project on Insect Biosystematics (NPIB), IARI, New
Delhi for identifying the aphid vector of large
cardamom.
References
Anonymous. 2014. Annual Research Report of Indian
Cardamom Research Institute, Regional Research
Station, Spices Board (Govt. of India), Gangtok,
Sikkim. 01-66 pp.
Basu AN and Ganguly B. 1968. A note on transmission
of 'Foorkey disease' of large cardamom by the
aphid, Micromyzus kalimpongensis Basu. Ind
Phytopath, 21: 127.
Ganguly B. 1966. A rapid test for detecting chirke
affected large cardamom (Amomum subulatum
Roxb.) plants in the field. Science and Culture, 32:
95-96.
Gudade BA, Chhetri P, Deka TN, Gupta U and
Vijayan AK. 2013. Large cardamom; A spice crop
with multiple uses. Indian J Arecanut, Spices and
Medicinal Plants 15(4):14-16.
Gudade BA, Chhetri P, Deka TN, Gupta U and
Vijayan AK. 2013. Organic cultivation of large
cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) in Sikkim.
Popular Kheti 1(3):4-9.
Gudade BA, Chhetri P, Gupta U, Bhattarai NK, Deka
TN and Vijayan AK. 2014. The study of eco-
friendly practices of large cardamom (Amomum
subulatum Roxb.) cultivation in Sikkim and
Darjeeling region. Ecology, Environment and
Conservation 20(1):119-123.
Mandal B, Mandal S, Pun KB and Varma A. 2004.
First report of Association of Nanovirus with
Foorkey disease of large cardamom in India. Pl Dis
88: 428.
Mandal B, Vijayanandraj S, Shilpi S, Pun KB, Singh
V, Pant RP, Jain RK, Varadarasan S and Varma
A. 2012. Disease distribution and characterization
of a new maclura virus associated with chirke
disease of large cardamom. Ann Appl Biol 160: 225-
236.
Raychaudhuri SP and Chatterjee SN. 1958.A
preliminary note on the occurrence of a new virus
disease of the large cardamom (Amomum subulatum
Roxb.), in Darjeeling Dist. Proc. Mycological. Res.
Workers conference, ICAR, 174.
Varma PM and Capoor SP. 1964. Marble disease of
cardamom. Indian Farming, 3(5):22-23.
Received : 4 Aug 2014 Accepted: 5 Nov 2014
J Mycol Plant Pathol, Vol. 44, No.4, 2014 441