Major Diseases and Pests of Spices and Condiments

Black Pepper

Diseases:
- Quick Wilt/Foot Rot: Symptoms - Sudden wilting, yellowing of leaves. Control/Management - Use Trichoderma, proper
drainage, Bordeaux mixture spray
- Pollu Disease: Symptoms - Black spots on berries. Control/Management - Spray Bordeaux mixture during spike
initiation
- Anthracnose: Symptoms - Sunken spots on leaves and berries. Control/Management - Use carbendazim or copper
oxychloride
- Phytophthora Rot: Symptoms - Leaf, stem and spike rot. Control/Management - Fungicide spray and sanitation
- Wilt: Symptoms - Yellowing and drying of vines. Control/Management - Remove and destroy infected vines

Pests:
- Pollu Beetle: Symptoms - Damages berries. Control/Management - Use neem oil spray and clean cultivation
- Top Shoot Borer: Symptoms - Bores into terminal shoots. Control/Management - Prune infested shoots, apply systemic
insecticides
- Scale Insects: Symptoms - Sooty mould development. Control/Management - Spray dimethoate or neem oil
- Mealy Bug: Symptoms - White cottony masses. Control/Management - Apply systemic insecticides and clean plants
- Mites: Symptoms - Leaf discoloration. Control/Management - Use miticides and maintain humidity

Cardamom

Diseases:
- Katte Disease: Symptoms - Stunted growth, yellowing. Control/Management - Use virus-free planting material
- Chenthal Disease: Symptoms - Yellowing and drying of leaves. Control/Management - Remove infected plants
- Clump Rot: Symptoms - Rotting of rhizome. Control/Management - Drench with copper oxychloride
- Capsule Rot: Symptoms - Rotting of capsules. Control/Management - Use mancozeb spray
- Rhizome Rot: Symptoms - Soft rot of rhizome. Control/Management - Use Trichoderma and good drainage

Pests:
- Shoot Borer: Symptoms - Bores into shoot. Control/Management - Apply carbaryl or neem extract
- Thrips: Symptoms - Silvery patches on leaves. Control/Management - Use dimethoate or neem oil
- Aphids: Symptoms - Stunted growth. Control/Management - Spray systemic insecticides
- Root Grubs: Symptoms - Feeds on roots. Control/Management - Apply chlorpyrifos in soil
- Whitefly: Symptoms - Yellowing of leaves. Control/Management - Spray imidacloprid

Ginger

Diseases:
- Soft Rot: Symptoms - Yellowing and decay of rhizome. Control/Management - Use Trichoderma, avoid waterlogging
- Leaf Spot: Symptoms - Brown spots on leaves. Control/Management - Spray mancozeb
- Bacterial Wilt: Symptoms - Wilting and rhizome rot. Control/Management - Use disease-free seed, crop rotation
- Dry Rot: Symptoms - Drying of foliage. Control/Management - Use copper-based fungicides
- Pythium Rot: Symptoms - Rotting at collar region. Control/Management - Improve drainage, use fungicides
Pests:
- Rhizome Scale: Symptoms - Scales on rhizome. Control/Management - Dip in insecticide solution before planting
- Shoot Borer: Symptoms - Bores into stem. Control/Management - Spray neem oil or malathion
- White Grubs: Symptoms - Feed on roots. Control/Management - Apply chlorpyrifos
- Nematodes: Symptoms - Stunted growth. Control/Management - Use nematicides, crop rotation
- Aphids: Symptoms - Sticky honeydew on leaves. Control/Management - Use systemic insecticides

Turmeric

Diseases:
- Leaf Blotch: Symptoms - Brown patches on leaves. Control/Management - Spray mancozeb
- Rhizome Rot: Symptoms - Yellowing and soft rot. Control/Management - Use Trichoderma and good drainage
- Leaf Spot: Symptoms - Necrotic spots. Control/Management - Use copper oxychloride
- Fusarium Wilt: Symptoms - Wilting of plant. Control/Management - Use resistant varieties
- Colletotrichum Leaf Spot: Symptoms - Small lesions on leaves. Control/Management - Spray carbendazim

Pests:
- Rhizome Scale: Symptoms - Scales on rhizome. Control/Management - Dip seed rhizome in insecticide
- Shoot Borer: Symptoms - Tunnel in shoots. Control/Management - Spray neem oil
- White Grub: Symptoms - Root damage. Control/Management - Apply chlorpyrifos
- Nematodes: Symptoms - Root galls. Control/Management - Use carbofuran
- Aphids: Symptoms - Curled leaves. Control/Management - Spray systemic insecticides

Cinnamon

Diseases:
- Leaf Spot: Symptoms - Spots on leaves. Control/Management - Use copper-based fungicides
- Root Rot: Symptoms - Decay of roots. Control/Management - Ensure proper drainage
- Anthracnose: Symptoms - Leaf and shoot blight. Control/Management - Use mancozeb or copper oxychloride
- Powdery Mildew: Symptoms - White coating on leaves. Control/Management - Use sulfur dusting
- Dieback: Symptoms - Drying of shoot tips. Control/Management - Prune infected parts

Pests:
- Shoot Borer: Symptoms - Shoots with holes. Control/Management - Use light traps and insecticides
- Leaf Miner: Symptoms - Mines in leaves. Control/Management - Spray neem extract
- Mealy Bugs: Symptoms - Cottony growth. Control/Management - Spray insecticides
- Scale Insects: Symptoms - Yellowing of leaves. Control/Management - Use horticultural oils
- Termites: Symptoms - Attack roots. Control/Management - Apply chlorpyrifos in soil

Coriander

Diseases:
- Powdery Mildew: Symptoms - White powdery patches. Control/Management - Use sulfur dusting
- Stem Gall: Symptoms - Tumor-like swellings. Control/Management - Use disease-free seeds
- Wilt: Symptoms - Wilting of entire plant. Control/Management - Crop rotation and Trichoderma
- Leaf Spot: Symptoms - Spots on leaves. Control/Management - Spray copper oxychloride
- Downy Mildew: Symptoms - Yellowing and downy growth. Control/Management - Use fungicides

Pests:
- Aphids: Symptoms - Sticky leaves. Control/Management - Spray neem oil or imidacloprid
- Cutworms: Symptoms - Cut plants at base. Control/Management - Soil treatment and night monitoring
- Thrips: Symptoms - Silvery leaves. Control/Management - Spray dimethoate
- Coriander Beetle: Symptoms - Defoliation. Control/Management - Manual removal, neem sprays
- Leaf Hopper: Symptoms - Stunted plants. Control/Management - Spray insecticides

Fenugreek

Diseases:
- Powdery Mildew: Symptoms - White patches. Control/Management - Use sulfur-based fungicides
- Downy Mildew: Symptoms - Yellowing with downy growth. Control/Management - Use mancozeb
- Root Rot: Symptoms - Rotting roots. Control/Management - Good drainage, Trichoderma
- Leaf Spot: Symptoms - Necrotic spots. Control/Management - Spray fungicides
- Wilt: Symptoms - Yellowing and stunted growth. Control/Management - Crop rotation, resistant varieties

Pests:
- Aphids: Symptoms - Sticky leaves. Control/Management - Use neem or imidacloprid
- Cutworm: Symptoms - Stem cut at base. Control/Management - Apply insecticides in soil
- Thrips: Symptoms - Curling and silvering. Control/Management - Spray systemic insecticide
- Pod Borer: Symptoms - Bores into pods. Control/Management - Use neem or spinosad
- Leaf Miner: Symptoms - Tunnels in leaves. Control/Management - Spray neem-based pesticides