Groundnut Rossette

Symptoms
The affected plants are characterized by the appearance of dense clump or dwarf shoots with tuft of
small leaves forming in a rosette fashion. The plant exhibits chlorosis and mosaic mottling. The
infected plants remain stunted and produce flowers, but only a few of the pegs may develop further to
nuts but no seed formation.

Pathogen
The disease is caused by a complex mixture of viruses viz.,Groundnut rosette assistor
virus (GRAV), Ground nut rosette virusand Groundnut rosette satellites is an isometric, not
enveloped and 28nm diameter (reported from India) and it gives no overt symptom in
groundnut. Groundnut rosette virus is with ssRNA genome, which becomes packaged in GRAV
virious and thus depends on it for aphid transmission, but produces no overt symptoms in groundnut.
The groundnut rosette satellites are satellite RNAs that control the symptoms and cause the different
types of rosette (chlorotic, green and mosaic).

DiseaseCycle
The primary source of spread by aphid vector, Aphis craccivora and A. gossipii in a persistant
manner, retained by vector but not transmitted congenitally. The virus is not transmitted by any other
means like mechanical or seed or pollen. The virus can survive on the volunteer plants of groundnut
and other weed hosts.

Management
 Practice clean cultivation.
 Use heavy seed rate and rogue out the infected plants periodically.
 Spray Methyl demeton at 500 ml/ha.
 Tikka Leaf Spots ofGroundnut
Symptoms
The disease occurs on all above ground parts of the plant, more severely on the leaves. The leaf
symptoms produced by the two pathogens can be easily distinguished by appearance, spot colour and
shapes. Both the fungi produce lesions also on petiole, stem and pegs. The lesions caused by both
species coalesce as infection develops and severely spotted leaves shed prematurely. The quality and
yield of nuts are drastically reduced in severe infections.

Pathogen
Cercospora arachidicola(Sexual stage: Mycosphaerella. arachidis) The pathogen is intercellular and
do not produce haustoria and become intracellular when host cells die. The fungus produces abundant
sporulation on the upper surface of the leaves. Conidiophores are olivaceous brown or yellowish
brown in colour, short, 1 or 2 septate, unbranched and geniculate and arise in clusters.
Conidia are sub hyaline or pale yellow, obclavate, often curved 3-12 septate, 35-110 x 2.5 - 5.4 µm in
size with rounded to distinctly truncate base and sub-acute tip. The perfect stage of the fungus
produces perithecia as ascostromata. They are globose with papillateostiole. Asci are cylindrical to
clavate and contain 8 ascospores. Ascospores are hyaline, slightly curved and two celled, apical cell
larger than the lower cell.
Phaeoisariopsispersonata(Cercosporapersonata) (Sexual stage : Mycosphaerellaberkeleyii) The
fungus produces internal and intercellular mycelium with the production ofhaustoria.
The conidiphores are long, continuous, 1-2 septate, geniculate, arise inclusters and olive brown in
colour.
The conidia arecylindrical or obclavate, short, measure18-60 x 6-10µm, hyaline to olive brown,
usually straight or curved slightly with 1-9 septa, notconstricted but mostly 3-4 septate. The fungus in
its perfect stageproduces perithecia as ascostromata which are globose or broadly ovate with
papillateostiole. Asci are cylindrical to ovate, contain 8 ascospores. Ascospores are 2 celled
andconstricted at septum and hyaline.

Favourable Conditions
 Prolonged high relative humidity for 3 days.
 Low temperature (200C) with dew on leaf surface.
 Heavy doses of nitrogen and phosporus fertilizers
 Deficiency of magesium in soil.

Disease cycle The pathogen survives for a long period in the infected plant debris through conidia,
dormant mycelium and perithecia in soil. The volunteer groundnut plants also harbour the pathogen.
The primary infection is by ascospores or conidia from infected plant debris or infectd seeds. The
secondary spread is by wind blown conidia. Rain splash also helps in the spread of conidia.
 Management
 Remove and destory the infected plant debris.
 Eradicate the volunteer groundnut plants.
 Keep weeds under control.
 Treat the seeds with Carbendazim or Thiram at 2g/kg.
 Spray Carbendazim 500g or mancozeb 2 kg or Chlorothalonil 2 kg/ha and if necessary, repeat after 15
days.
 Grow moderately resistant varieties like ALR 1.

Early leaf spots Late leaf spots

Symptoms
The disease attacks all aerial parts of the plant. The disease is usually found when the plants
are about 6 weeks old. Small brown to chestnut dusty pustules (Uredosori) appear on the
lower surface of leaves. The epidermis ruptures and exposes a powdery mass of uredospores.
Corresponding to the sori, small, nectrotic, brown spots appear on the upper surface of leaves.
The rust pustules may be seen on petioles and stem. Late in the season, brown teliosori, as
dark pustules, appear among the necrotic patches. In severe infection lower leaves dry and
drop prematurely. The severe infection leads to production of small and shriveled seeds.

Pathogen
The pathogen produces both uredial and telial stages. Uredial stages are produced abundant in
groundnut and productionn of telia is limited. Uredospores are pedicellate, unicellular, yellow,
oval or round and echinulated with 2 or 3 germpores. Teliospores are dark brown with two
cells. Pycnial and aecial stages have not been recorded and there is no information available
about the role of alternate host.

Pustules on lower surface of leaf Orange coloured uredospores

Favourable Conditions

High relative humidity (above 85 per cent), Heavy rainfall and Low temperature (20-25˚C).
(20

Disease cycle

The pathogen survives as uredospores on volunter groundnut plants. The fungus also survives
in infected plant debris in soil. The spread is mainly through wind borne inoculum of
uredospores. The uredospores also spread as contamination of seeds and pods. Rainsplash
and implements also help in dissemination. The fungus also survives on the collateral hosts
like Arachismarginata, A. nambyquarae and A. prostrate.
Management

• Avoid monoculturing of groundnut.