Chenthal disease / leaf blight – Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Symptom Elongated, water soaked lesions of varying size appear on the upper surface of the leaf. The spots becomes brown to dark with pale yellow hole. Leaves wither and pseudo stem wilts. New sho

Symptoms General chlorosis of young leaves – parallel streaks of pale green tissues running along the veins from midrib to the margins. Leaf sheath also shows stitch stripes. In advanced stage the whole plant shows mosaic symptom. Rhizome shrivels and plants d

Symptoms can appear on tender and matured leaves. Large circular, irregular, water soaked spots with black colour appear on leaves. The exposed portion of the unopened leaves my rot. Grey patches of irregular spots with brown margin are formed at the base of t

Damping off / rhizome rot / clamp rot – Pythium vexans, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizoctonia solani, Phytophthora

Among the three species B. fulvicorne is found to cause more damage in cardamom tracts. Symptoms of damage : The grubs feed on the roots in the form of irregular scraping. In advanced stages entire root system is found damaged resulting in drying and rotting d

Symptoms of damage : Nymphs and adults suck up plant sap. Colonies of aphids are seen under concealed conditions inside leaf sheaths of the older pseudo stems. The aphids act as a vector of the mosaic or 'Katte' virus of cardamom. Identification of pest: Wingl

White flies: Dialeurodes cardamom Symptoms of damage : Nymphs and adults remain in colonies on lower leaf surface and suck the sap. Chlorotic patches appear on leaves, Gradual yellowing and get dried. Sooty mould development occurs due to honeydew secretion. I

Shoot fly: Formosina flavipes Symptoms of damage : Larvae feed on the growing shoot of the young cardamom suckers Dead heart. Identification of pest: Eggs: cigar shaped and white colour and is laid in between leaf sheath and pseudostem on the whorl. Adult: Fly

Symptoms of damage : These appear sporadically in enormous populations at intervals of several years and cause heavy damage to the foliage. Caterpillars are gregarious in habit and they congregate on the trunks of shade trees during day time and drop down on t

Beetle borer: Onthophgus spp. Beetle borer: Onthophgus spp. Symptoms of damage : Larva makes the bore hole which is neat, circular tiny and at right angles to the pericarp mostly on the ventral side. When attack is on young immature capsules, they put forth ma

Shoot, panicle and capsule borer: Dichocrocis (Conogethes) punctiferalis

Panicles become stunted Shedding of flowers and immature capsules thus reducing the total number of capsules formed. Infestation causes formation of corky encrustations on pods resulting in their malformed and shriveled condition. Such pods lack their fine aro