Assessment of the spatial distribution and identification of potential risk areas for the sterility mosaic disease of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Huth) in Southern India

Sterility mosaic disease (SMD) is an emerging biotic risk to the cultivation of pigeonpea throughout the Indian subcontinent. The prevalence and distribution of SMD documented from diverse agro-climatic zones are still poorly known. In this investigation, we determined the spatial distribution of SMD covering major pigeonpea-growing states of Southern India namely, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh by considering 2 years of exploratory survey data. Geospatial approaches were employed to determine the SMD incidence levels at unvisited locations using neighboring observations. The results indicated enormous variability in disease incidence ranging from 0 to 82.64% and 0 to 36.84%, respectively, in Kharif 2021–22 and 2022–23 in pigeonpea-growing states. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and Ripley’s K function established the presence of average clustering over sampling locations. Two main clusters were identified via agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis. From the Local Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis, most of the districts were clustered together at (I25%) above the threshold level and must be closely monitored to restrict and minimize further disease spread across the studied areas in Southern India. In pigeonpea, this is the first study in India that attempted to understand the spatial pattern of SMD using geostatistical methodologies. The results of the study will aid in the design and dissemination of specific management practices and curb the further spread of SMD.