Abstract

Sandal (Santalum album L.), in Kerala, is distributed mainly in Marayur Range of Munnar Forest Division, on the eastern side of Western Ghats. Though spike disease of sandal is widespread in neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it was not reported from Kerala so far. However, typical sandal spike symptoms were observed for the first time in one of the sandal reserve forests of Marayur Range in June 1980. Trees with different levels of infection were present in the reserve. Large number of trees were found dead due to the disease. Disease could easily be transmitted to healthy seedlings by grafting. Diseased trees showed remissin of the symptoms when aqueous solution of tetracycline was injected. Attempts were made to correlate the visual symptoms of the spike disease with electrical resistance of the inner bark of the trees using shigometer. This instrument may be useful in detecting spiked trees in the initial stages of the disease without destroying the