Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

Author(s):
KN Gupta, Yashowardhan Singh, AK Panday and Rajni Bisen

Abstract:
Sesame or Til (Sesamum indicum L.) belongs to family Pedaliaceae is one of the principal oilseeds in common use in India. Among the several diseases infecting sesame. Phyllody is a serious disease of sesame (Sesamum Indicum L.,) in India. In the present study investigations were carried out on the etiology and transmission of this disease. The major symptoms of the disease are phyllody, witch`s broom, floral virescence, thickening of veins, twisting of stem, deformation of capsule, severe reduction in leaf size, early drying of the plant were noticed. Under severe condition cracking of seed capsule, germination of seeds within capsule, and floral malformation like abnormal green structures in place of normal flowers were also noticed. Light microscopy of handout section of sesame stems treated with dienes stain should blue area in the phloem region of phyllody infected plants. Sesame phyllody was successfully transmitted through side grafting from donor sesame to healthy sesame and produced typical phyllody symptoms within 35-40 days. Sesame phyllody was successfully transmitted from sesame to sesame by grafting. The phytoplasma causing the sesame phyllody disease had a limited host range and it was transmitted to sesame by leaf hopper and to periwinkle by grafting. The phytoplasma produced phyllody on sesame and floral virescence with an increased number of axillary shoots and smaller leaves after transmission and little leaf on periwinkle. In both cases typical symptoms of plants were obtained. Transmission of phytoplasmas from naturally infected plant host species using the parasitic plant Cuscuta spp. (dodder) The sesame phyllody phytoplasma was also successfully transmitted by dodder and sesamum phyllody cannot transmit through seed and sap.