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Callus like galls were observed inside the stem of more than 5-year old papaya trees in Kerala, India. The bacterium Pantoea dispersa and the fungus Fusarium spinosum were isolated from these galls. Identity of the fungus was confirmed by sequencing and analysis of rDNA region, EFα gene and phylogenetic and barcode analyses. Bacterial identity was confirmed by analysis of rDNA region. Pathogenicity tests with a combination of the fungus and bacterium and bacterium alone, resulted in gall formation. Individual inoculation of F. spinosum did not result in gall. Only P. dispersa was re-isolated from the galls, indicating its etiological role. Mature and more than 5-year old local cultivars of papaya and seedling progenies of the hybrid “Co 2” at Pepper Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Panniyoor, Kerala, India, were examined from December 2018 to March 2021. Around 40% of the trees examined had huge swellings on the stem and displayed abnormal branching. Inside the tree stem, numerous compact spheroid to ellipsoid, cream to salmon coloured callus-like galls, with diameter ranging from a few millimetres to 6.0 cm, were observed (Figures 1 and 2). Larger galls with 3.1–6.0 cm were observed mainly on the disc like septum which separated the internodal cavity inside the stem. Small (0.1–1.0 cm) and medium-sized (1.1–3.0 cm) galls were present mostly inside the stem cavity. Such galls, © 2021 informa UK limited, trading as taylor & francis group CONTACT P. M. Ajith [email protected] Pepper research station, Kerala Agricultural University, Panniyoor, Kerala, 670142, india. supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/03235408.2021.1974686. https://doi.org/10.1080/03235408.2021.1974686 ARTICLE HISTORY Received 3 November 2020 Revised 11 August 2021 Accepted 20 August 2021