Though the horticulture department estimates the area under cultivation at 12,800 hectares and production at 1.5 lakh tonnes in the state, farmers have uprooted trees in about 30 per cent of the cultivated area due to continuous loss of crop over the last four years.

The production of pomegranate has declined from a high of 1.8 lakh metric tonnes per annum four years ago to less than 10,000 metric tonnes in 2007-08, thereby causing a revenue loss of about Rs 200 crore (at an average price of Rs 50,000 per tonne) in Karnataka, S V Hittalmani, additional director, fruits and floriculture, department of horticulture, Government of Karnataka said.

The bacterial blight disease is caused by a bacteria called Xanthomonas axanopodis pv.Punicae. The bacteria were first noticed in select farms in Bellary district in the 1980s and it started spreading rapidly in the early 2000s and took epidemic proportions in the last four years.

It has caused severe damage and destroyed 90 per cent of the cultivated area in the districts of Bagalkot, Belgaum, Bellary, Bijapur, Chitradurga, Gulbarga, Koppal, Raichur and Tumkur. Fed up with the loss of crop many farmers have resorted to uprooting of the trees across growing areas, Hittalmani said.

The horticulture department has identified some of the varieties that are susceptible to the disease such as Ruby, Bhagwa (Kesar), Mrudula Arakta. The bacteria primarily spreads through infested planting material and secondly through cutting implements and wind to other farms. It has also started affecting other crops like Lemon in some areas.

Hittalmani said despite several control measures, the horticulture scientists have failed to control the disease.

The National Horticulture Mission (NHM) has even earmarked a special grant to fight the disease and Karnataka has been given Rs 23 crore for a period of two years. The NHM had recommended adoption of good management practices (GMP) and fixed Rs 50,000 cost per hectare to fight the bacteria. While, NHM provided 50 per cent of the cost, 25 per cent was given by the state government and the balance had to be borne by the farmer.

"The scientific community has to accept their defeat in controlling BBD as there is hardly any measure left to control it. The only way is to stop the fresh planting and go for a crop holiday for 10 years. Remove every infected plant and start afresh once the bacteria is removed completely," Hittalmani said.

He said the department of horticulture will soon recommend to the government of India and NHM to declare an official crop holiday and removal of all infected trees across the country.

"We will raise this topic in all the forthcoming national seminars and conferences and convince the scientific community to spread the awareness about taking a crop holiday," he said.

Karnataka is the second largest producer of pomegranates after Maharashtra, which grows about 6 lakh metric tonnes in 93,000 hectares. Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat are the next big producers.