SANDALWOOD SPIKE DISEASE (SSD)

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Context: Sandalwood spike disease (SSD) has recently started spreading to private fields where the cultivation of sandalwood has been taken up on a commercial basis.

Details:

• It is caused by phytoplasma — bacterial parasites of plant tissues — which are transmitted by insect vectors.
• The disease was first reported in Kodagu in 1899.
• It is being classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1998.
• Presently, there is no option but to cut down and remove the infected tree to prevent the spread of the disease.
• Between 1 and 5% of sandalwood trees lost every year due to the disease.
• SSD has been one of the major causes for the decline in sandalwood production in the country for over a century.

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