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Horticultural crops :: Plantation crops:: Coconut

Coconut Root wilt Disease management
ROOT WILT (OR) KERALA WILT DISEASE: Phytoplasma
Symptom:
  • Tapering of terminal portion of the trunk.
  • Reduction of leaf size
  • Abnormal bending or Ribbing of leaf lets termed as flaccidity.
  • Flowering is delayed and also yield is considerably reduced.
  • The characteristic symptom is the flaccidity of leaflets. This is the earliest visual symptom. In the beginning yellowing is restricted from the leaf tips to the middle of the leaves, necrosis of leaflets and deterioration and decay of root system are other salient features of the disease. The leaflets curve inwardly to produce ribbing so that the whole frond develops a cup like appearance. Abnormal shedding of buttons and immature nuts are also noticed.
 
Stephanitis typica   Proutista moesta

Management:
Cultural Method:

  • Cut and remove disease advanced, uneconomical palms yielding less than 10 nuts per palm per year
  • Grow green manure crops - cowpea, sunhemp (Crotalaria juncea), Mimosa invisa, Calapagonium mucanoides, Pueraria phaseoloides etc. may be sown in coconut basins during April-May and incorporated during September-October.
  • Irrigate coconut palms with at least 250 litre water in a week.
  • Adopt suitable inter/mixed cropping in coconut gardens.
  • Provide adequate drainage facilities.

Biological method:

  • In addition to the above, apply 50 kg FYM or green manure and 5 kg of neem cake / palm / year.
  • Growing green manure crops like sunn hemp, sesbania, cowpea and calapagonium in the coconut basin and their incorporation in situ is beneficial as the practice reduces the intensity of the root (wilt) and increases the nut yield. The ideal green manure crops for the sandy and alluvial soils are cowpea and sesbania, respectively.

Chemical Method:

  • Apply fertilizers for coconut palms in average management at the rate of 1.3 kg urea, 2.00 kg super phosphate and 3.5 kg potash (MOP) / palm / year in the form of urea, rock phosphate and muriate of potash, respectively.
  • Magnesium may be supplied @ 500 g MgO per palm per year
  • To manage the insect vectors, treat the top tow leaf axils with insecticide preparation. This can be prepared by mixing phorate 10 G with 200 g sand or powdered neem cake 250 g. Mix equal quantity of sand place around the base of the spindle.

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