Published Date: 2013-03-01 08:12:48
Subject: PRO/PL> Undiagnosed disease, coconut palm - Cote d'Ivoire: (LG)
Archive Number: 20130301.1563457UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, COCONUT PALM - COTE D'IVOIRE: (LAGUNES)
************************************************** **********
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
A "mysterious disease" could decimate all coconut plantings in Ivory Coast by 2020 if nothing is done. More than 7000 ha [17 300 acres] of palms in the department of Grand-Lahou [Lagunes Region] are highly threatened. In less than 10 years, more than 350 hectares [865 acres] have been devastated causing a loss of 12 000 tons of copra [fruit of the coconut palm] per year.
Neither the cause nor a remedy against the disease is known. Dr Jean Louis Konan, Coconut National Agricultural Research Centre (CNRA), explained: "Despite the research undertaken, we cannot determine the cause. Is it a bacterium, phytoplasma, or virus?"
He said the disease evolves very quickly. It first attacks the old leaves, then younger ones, making them turn yellow. Then [it affects] the [growth] bud and the flowers and causes immature fruit to drop. Once the heart [growth bud] is affected, the palm dies within 6 months. Dr Konan recommends burning "sick" coconut trees and cleaning up plantations to prevent the rapid spread. Farmers are advised to diversify crops.
The Interprofessional Fund for Research and the Council for Agriculture [FIRCA] has agreed to fund 3 studies, in Ivory Coast, Mexico, and Canada. Coconut palms grown in Ivory Coast are mainly the Port-Bouet 121 hybrid and the [local] West African Tall [WAT] variety.
[Byline: Norbert N'Kaka]
--
Communicated by:
Gert van der Hoek
Senior Moderator
FluTrackers
http://flutrackers.com
[Coconut palms in Ivory Coast have been reported to be affected by bud rot (also called heart rot) caused mainly by the fungus-like organism _Phytophthora katsurae_ (ProMED-mail post 20100721.2444). Many of the symptoms described above are similar to bud rot symptoms, however, bud rots start at the spear leaf moving outwards through the crown. As the disease in Grand-Lahou is described as starting on the old leaves moving inwards, bud rot has apparently been ruled out in this case.
The Ivory Coast coconut population is also considered under threat from Cape St Paul wilt (CSPW) spreading from neighbouring Ghana (ProMED-mail post 20090831.3067). CSPW is caused by a phytoplasma tentatively assigned to the palm lethal yellowing (LY; 16SrIV) group. LY-like diseases often start with premature fruit drop, followed by yellowing of older leaves. Yellowing moves inwards through the crown, eventually affecting the apical bud and killing trees usually within 6 months after appearance of symptoms. Whether a phytoplasma of the LY or another group is involved in the problems in Grand-Lahou may be one of the aspects of the ongoing investigation. In recent years, the detection of new phytoplasma diseases is being supported by the improvement of generic detection methods which, however, often require adjustments for specific plant hosts.
A "mysterious" bud rot like disease of coconut palm with unknown cause has also been reported recently from the Caribbean (ProMED-mail post 20120113.1009003) where LY diseases are also present. More work is needed to determine whether any connections between the "mysterious bud rots" in the different regions and/or LY may exist.
Maps
Cote d'Ivoire:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/ivory_coast_pol88.jpg and
http://healthmap.org/r/5F9e
Regions of Cote d'Ivoire:
http://www.izf.net/upload/Documentation/Cartes/cotedivoire.pdf
Africa (overview):
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/africa_pol97.jpg
Pictures
Coconut bud rot symptoms:
http://www.hindu.com/seta/2007/08/02/images/2007080250091601.jpg and
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/nelsons/palms/coconut_heart_rot_1.JPG
LY symptoms on coconut and other palms:
http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/pestsndiseases/pel7a.JPG,
http://www.yale.edu/roatan/images/Img0073a.JPG, and
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/188110/homepage/name/homepage.jpg?type=sn
Links
Coconut bud rot in Ivory Coast:
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/50881617/growth-characteristics-phytophthora-katsurae-isolates-from-four-coconut-tree-growing-areas-ivory-coast and
http://www.forestphytophthoras.org/references/phytophthora-isolates-coconut-plantations-indonesia-and-ivory-coast-characterization-and
Other bud rots and diseases of coconut palm:
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/ct/200/crops#1778
Lethal yellowing information:
http://www.eppo.org/QUARANTINE/bacteria/Palm_lethal_yellowing/PHYP56_ds.pdf,
http://www.new-agri.co.uk/02-3/develop/dev05.html,
http://itp.lucidcentral.org/id/palms/symptoms/Lethal_Yellowing.htm, and
http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/pestsndiseases/vpe_ly_coconut.htm. - Mod.DHA]
See Also
2012
----
Bud rot, coconut palm - St. Kitts and Nevis, susp. 20120113.1009003
2011
----
Lethal yellowing, coconut palm - Papua NG, Mexico: new phytoplasmas 20110223.0592
2010
----
Red ring & lethal yellows, coconut - Americas, Africa 20100910.3262
Bud rot, coconut palm - Cote d'Ivoire, USA (HI) 20100721.2444
2009
----
Cape St Paul wilt, coconut palm - Ghana 20090831.3067
and additional items on LY and bud rot diseases in the archives
.................................................l mi/dha/mj/lm
Subject: PRO/PL> Undiagnosed disease, coconut palm - Cote d'Ivoire: (LG)
Archive Number: 20130301.1563457UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, COCONUT PALM - COTE D'IVOIRE: (LAGUNES)
************************************************** **********
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
A "mysterious disease" could decimate all coconut plantings in Ivory Coast by 2020 if nothing is done. More than 7000 ha [17 300 acres] of palms in the department of Grand-Lahou [Lagunes Region] are highly threatened. In less than 10 years, more than 350 hectares [865 acres] have been devastated causing a loss of 12 000 tons of copra [fruit of the coconut palm] per year.
Neither the cause nor a remedy against the disease is known. Dr Jean Louis Konan, Coconut National Agricultural Research Centre (CNRA), explained: "Despite the research undertaken, we cannot determine the cause. Is it a bacterium, phytoplasma, or virus?"
He said the disease evolves very quickly. It first attacks the old leaves, then younger ones, making them turn yellow. Then [it affects] the [growth] bud and the flowers and causes immature fruit to drop. Once the heart [growth bud] is affected, the palm dies within 6 months. Dr Konan recommends burning "sick" coconut trees and cleaning up plantations to prevent the rapid spread. Farmers are advised to diversify crops.
The Interprofessional Fund for Research and the Council for Agriculture [FIRCA] has agreed to fund 3 studies, in Ivory Coast, Mexico, and Canada. Coconut palms grown in Ivory Coast are mainly the Port-Bouet 121 hybrid and the [local] West African Tall [WAT] variety.
[Byline: Norbert N'Kaka]
--
Communicated by:
Gert van der Hoek
Senior Moderator
FluTrackers
http://flutrackers.com
[Coconut palms in Ivory Coast have been reported to be affected by bud rot (also called heart rot) caused mainly by the fungus-like organism _Phytophthora katsurae_ (ProMED-mail post 20100721.2444). Many of the symptoms described above are similar to bud rot symptoms, however, bud rots start at the spear leaf moving outwards through the crown. As the disease in Grand-Lahou is described as starting on the old leaves moving inwards, bud rot has apparently been ruled out in this case.
The Ivory Coast coconut population is also considered under threat from Cape St Paul wilt (CSPW) spreading from neighbouring Ghana (ProMED-mail post 20090831.3067). CSPW is caused by a phytoplasma tentatively assigned to the palm lethal yellowing (LY; 16SrIV) group. LY-like diseases often start with premature fruit drop, followed by yellowing of older leaves. Yellowing moves inwards through the crown, eventually affecting the apical bud and killing trees usually within 6 months after appearance of symptoms. Whether a phytoplasma of the LY or another group is involved in the problems in Grand-Lahou may be one of the aspects of the ongoing investigation. In recent years, the detection of new phytoplasma diseases is being supported by the improvement of generic detection methods which, however, often require adjustments for specific plant hosts.
A "mysterious" bud rot like disease of coconut palm with unknown cause has also been reported recently from the Caribbean (ProMED-mail post 20120113.1009003) where LY diseases are also present. More work is needed to determine whether any connections between the "mysterious bud rots" in the different regions and/or LY may exist.
Maps
Cote d'Ivoire:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/ivory_coast_pol88.jpg and
http://healthmap.org/r/5F9e
Regions of Cote d'Ivoire:
http://www.izf.net/upload/Documentation/Cartes/cotedivoire.pdf
Africa (overview):
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/africa_pol97.jpg
Pictures
Coconut bud rot symptoms:
http://www.hindu.com/seta/2007/08/02/images/2007080250091601.jpg and
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/nelsons/palms/coconut_heart_rot_1.JPG
LY symptoms on coconut and other palms:
http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/pestsndiseases/pel7a.JPG,
http://www.yale.edu/roatan/images/Img0073a.JPG, and
http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/188110/homepage/name/homepage.jpg?type=sn
Links
Coconut bud rot in Ivory Coast:
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/50881617/growth-characteristics-phytophthora-katsurae-isolates-from-four-coconut-tree-growing-areas-ivory-coast and
http://www.forestphytophthoras.org/references/phytophthora-isolates-coconut-plantations-indonesia-and-ivory-coast-characterization-and
Other bud rots and diseases of coconut palm:
http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/ct/200/crops#1778
Lethal yellowing information:
http://www.eppo.org/QUARANTINE/bacteria/Palm_lethal_yellowing/PHYP56_ds.pdf,
http://www.new-agri.co.uk/02-3/develop/dev05.html,
http://itp.lucidcentral.org/id/palms/symptoms/Lethal_Yellowing.htm, and
http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/pestsndiseases/vpe_ly_coconut.htm. - Mod.DHA]
See Also
2012
----
Bud rot, coconut palm - St. Kitts and Nevis, susp. 20120113.1009003
2011
----
Lethal yellowing, coconut palm - Papua NG, Mexico: new phytoplasmas 20110223.0592
2010
----
Red ring & lethal yellows, coconut - Americas, Africa 20100910.3262
Bud rot, coconut palm - Cote d'Ivoire, USA (HI) 20100721.2444
2009
----
Cape St Paul wilt, coconut palm - Ghana 20090831.3067
and additional items on LY and bud rot diseases in the archives
.................................................l mi/dha/mj/lm