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Bamboo witches broom

Leaves bunch into rosettes, many thin limbs sprout from one node and the internodes stay short, like a broom.

Candidatus Phytoplasma luffae related strain (16SrVIII) in the Philippines, while the fungus Aciculosporium take causes a similar broom elsewhere Bacterium Fact sheet
Bamboo witches broom: a cluster of thin, crowded shoots on a bamboo
Photo: Amityadav8, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Crops it strikes

Kawayan Bamboo

What you see

Stunted plants

When to act

Check each clump every few months for branches with bunched leaves and many thin twigs from one node. Remove broomed parts the day you find them. A clump that brooms on most culms should go.

Before you spray

No spray cures it. Cut and burn the broomed branches and culms, and take planting material only from healthy clumps.

How to prevent it

  • Cut and burn broomed branches and culms as soon as you see them.
  • Dig out and burn badly broomed clumps whole.
  • Take culm cuttings, offsets or rhizomes only from healthy clumps.
  • Clean bolos and saws between clumps with flame, bleach or alcohol.
  • Do not bring planting material from areas with broom.

Not sure it is this one?

Many diseases look alike. Send a photo to Anee, the smart farm technician in anee.io. She reads it with your crop, its age and the weather, and tells you what it most likely is and what to do first. In Tagalog or English.

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