Sandalwood is an important tree species of commercial value.
The annual world requirement of sandal oil is about 200 tons, which is equal to 10,000 tons of wood. Sandalwood production has come down considerably during the last decade. This is attributed to many factors. Spike disease caused by mycoplasma is considered as a major threat to the Sandal populations. Despite the economic importance of Sandal and considerable efforts, progress in the study of spike disease has been very slow and is hampered by lack of accurate information about the causative agent.