Shisham Dieback and its Possible Management: A Survey of Shisham Tree Disease in Pakistan

Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.) is an important forest tree of Pakistan due to its many uses such as furniture wood, building timber, agricultural implements, plywood industries and fuel purposes. Shisham is best known internationally as a premier timber species of the rosewood genus. This important tree is attacked by dieback and wilt diseases and spread so epidemically during the last few years and caused tremendous losses. The studies so for conducted under laboratory conditions have shown that neem products were comparatively more effective in increasing plant growth when used either spray or injected at root zone of plants or mixed with infested soil than fungicides. The use of fungicides especially systemic should be avoided due to their heavy cost, carcinogenic effects on humans and also causing environmental hazards.

Nasir Ahmed Rajput is a PhD Scholar in Plant Pathology at Nanjing Agricultural University (NAU), Nanjing, China. He obtained first division both of his Bachelor (2004) and Master’s (2007) degree in Plant Pathology from Sindh Agriculture University, Tando jam, Pakistan.