Witche's Broom and Phyllody Like Symptoms of Diseases in Acalypha indica L. and Cannabis sativa L.- A New Report from Champaran, North Bihar

During the survey of aromatic and essential oil plants of Champaran, We recorded witche's broom and phyllody like symptoms of diseases in two plants - Acalypha indica (Euphorbiaceae) and Cannabis sativa (Cannabinaceac). Acalypha indica exhibited severe symptoms of witche's broom with numerous leaves ofreduced size, shortening ofinternodes and emergence of several branches from a single point, giving appearance of witche's broom. In Cannabis sativa both phyllody and witche's broom symptoms were noted, where flowers of apical region of branches were highly reduced and were of sterile nature, and in most of the flowers, floral parts were converted into green and leafy structures. Causal organism of these diseases has recently been known and it is prokaryotic Phytoplasma, which lacks cell wall. The detection of Phytoplasma in vitro is difficult, however, PCR technique recently developed by molecular biologists is an unique tool for its identification and confirmation. Recently, near about 600 plant species have been reported, affected by Phytoplasma.