Pigeon Pea Witches' Broom in Florida. Randolph E. McCoy, University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center, Fort Lauderdale 33314. James H. Tsai, and Ronelle C. Norris, University of Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center, Fort Lauderdale 33314, and George H. Gwin, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, Miami 33158. Plant Dis. 67:443-445. Accepted for publication 12 October 1982. Copyright 1983 American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-67-443.

Witches' broom disease of pigeon pea was noted for the first time in 1980 in several plantings in southern Florida. Extensive damage occurred in some of these plantings. Mycoplasmalike organisms of typical polymorphic morphology were present in sieve-tube elements of diseased plants. Rhabdovirus particles were observed in plants with a mild foliar vein-yellowing but not in witches' broom-affected plants. Insect surveys revealed the presence of two common leafhopper species, Empoasca plebeia and Acinopterus sp. It is believed that this is the same disease affecting pigeon pea in other areas of the Caribbean.

Keyword(s): Cajanus cajan.