Disease:Viral and MLO diseases

Virus diseases occupy the third place among serious diseases of Black pepper, after foot rot and slow decline. Though virus diseases were reported from the various traditional pepper growing tracts of Kerala in 1970's, it's incidence, spread and severity are increasing at an alarming rate after 1990's. This may be due to unawareness/negligence of farmers about the disease and vectors associated, raising cuttings from the diseased vines, retaining infected vines in the gardens and non adoption of appropriate management strategies and control measures at different levels to combat the disease. Viral diseases are gradually and continuously spreading to pepper holdings of the State and are likely to cause serious problems in the future

The major Viral and MLO diseases are

• Stunted Disease
• Yello MottleDisease
• Phyllody