Madikeri: Kodagu may soon loose its sandalwood wealth if immediate steps are not taken to stop the spread of `sandal spike,' a mycoplasmal attack. The attack, which led to destruction of sandalwood 15 years ago, came back in recent years. It is now confined to sandalwood plants and fully grown trees at Nisargadhama tourist resort, near Kushalnagar, Deputy Consevator of Forests, Madikeri division Range, Gowda told The Hindu here on Thursday.

More than 90 per cent of over 500 sandalwood trees in Nisargadhama has been affected. The leaves start shrinking first and the tree will ultimately die.

The problem appears to be endemic to Nisargadhama, Mr. Gowda said. It is also called `sandal broom' disease since the affected part resembles a broom. Nisargadhama is an island spreading over 65 acres of land, surrounded by Cauvery river. The attack may not spread to adjoining forests because it is an island.

Burning the affected plants, including the roots, is the only solution now, Mr. Gowda said.

Permission sought

Mr. Gowda said he has written to higher-ups in the Forest Department for permission to fell the affected trees.

In this is approved, sandalwood, which has enhanced the prestige of the one of the most frequented spots in Kodagu, will disappear soon.

No one is sure as to how the mycoplasma attacked sandalwood. An experiment was conducted by the department at Hebbale, where a particular hillock has natural sandalwood growth. Over 250 plants and trees were picked in random and it was found that they have not been affected. This confirms the theory that the attack is almost endemic to Nisargadhama.

`Sandal spike' has only added to the list of diseases that afflicts plants in the area — white stem borer and berry borer attacks on coffee, wilt in pepper, greening disease in citrus fruits, `katte' disease in cardamom and banana and `mahakali' in ginger.

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