Lethal Yellowing (LY) of Palm1 Brian W
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PP-222 Lethal Yellowing (LY) of Palm1 Brian W. Bahder and Ericka E. Helmick2 Summary was observed in Indian River County on the east coast of Florida. LY is also observed in field nurseries. This disease • Lethal yellowing (LY) is a phloem-limited disease caused has significantly reduced the number of tall-type Cocos by a phytoplasma and transmitted by a planthopper. nucifera (coconut) in Florida and the Caribbean Basin, • Historically, LY has occurred only in the southern one- and localized outbreaks continue to occur. While sporadic third of Florida. The disease was observed for the first cases still emerge from time to time in South Florida, LY time in Sarasota and Manatee Counties on the west coast is not as prevalent as it once was. While the exact reason of Florida in 2007 and in Indian River County on the east for a reduction in disease pressure from LY is unknown, coast in 2012. it is likely due to a combination of factors such as aggres- • LY symptoms are highly variable among Cocos nucifera sive OTC programs, aggressive monitoring and removal (coconut) cultivars and among other palm genera. programs, and the death of highly susceptible hosts from the infection itself. • Palms with greater than 25% leaf discoloration or a dead apical meristem (bud) due to LY should be removed. Pathogen and Hosts • Management of LY includes trunk injections of oxytet- LY is caused by a phytoplasma, a type of bacteria that lacks racycline HCl (OTC) every four months, and planting of a cell wall and cannot be cultured in the laboratory. The palm species that are not hosts of LY. phytoplasma has been classified as a member of group 16S • Very few palm species native to Florida and the Carib- rDNA RFLP group 16SrIV, subgroup A (16SrIV-A). The bean Basin appear to be susceptible to LY. proposed name for the pathogen is “Candidatus Phyto- plasma palmae.” Introduction It is spread by the planthopper Haplaxius crudus, a com- Lethal yellowing (LY) is a palm disease that was prevalent mon planthopper in southern Florida. The phytoplasma is in Florida landscapes in the southern one-third of the state. a systemic pathogen that is found only in the phloem tissue In 2007, the disease was observed in Sarasota and Manatee (vascular tissue transporting photosynthates) of palms. It is Counties on the west coast of Florida, counties where it not known to survive outside either its plant or insect hosts. had not been observed previously. In 2012, the disease 1. This document is PP-222, one of a series of the Plant Pathology Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date October 2005. Revised August 2007, August 2009, August 2012, October 2015, and November 2018. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. 2. Brian W. Bahder, assistant professor; and Ericka E. Helmick, biological scientist; UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314. The use of trade names in this publication is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. UF/IFAS does not guarantee or warranty the products named, and references to them in this publication does not signify our approval to the exclusion of other products of suitable composition. All chemicals should be used in accordance with directions on the manufacturer’s label. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Reviewed: 08/2021 The planthopper is a piercing and sucking insect, meaning Boron deficiency in coconut will also cause premature nut it feeds on the contents of the plant host vascular system, drop. However, nuts dropped due to boron deficiency will including the phloem. The insect moves the phytoplasma not have the discolored, water-soaked appearance at the from palm to palm as it moves during its feeding cycles. calyx (stem) end of the nut (Figure 1). Until recently, the geographic range of LY in Florida was limited to the subtropical southern one-third of the state. This was believed to be due to the movement of the vector, H. crudus, further north due to milder winters. Recently, however, after some harsher winters and cold snaps, H. crudus has been confirmed as far north as Gainesville and is capable of overwintering. Due to a seemingly statewide distribution of H. crudus and the absence of LY from much of the state now, the recent movement of LY further north is likely due to some unknown factor. At least 37 palm species have been documented with LY (Table 1). Another palm disease caused by a phytoplasma that is similar to, but genetically distinct from, the LY phytoplasma was observed in 2007 on Phoenix canariensis, P. dactylifera and P. sylvestris growing in the south-central coastal region of west Florida (Sarasota to Tampa). The symptoms and management of this disease, called lethal bronzing disease Figure 1. Fruits that prematurely dropped from Cocos nucifera due to (LBD), formerly Texas Phoenix Palm Decline, on Phoenix Lethal Yellowing. Note dark, water-soaked calyx (stem) end. species appear to be the same as those for LY. See http:// Credits: N.A. Harrison edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp163 for further information on this • Foliage discoloration disease. For tall-type coconut cultivars, the next symptom is a Symptoms yellowing of the foliage, beginning with the lowest (oldest) leaves and progressing upward through the crown (Figure As with any disease, diagnosis is based on a series of symp- 2). In some cases, this symptom is seen as a solitary yel- toms. Furthermore, no single symptom is diagnostic of LY. lowed leaf (“flag leaf”) in the middle of the leaf canopy Rather, it is the appearance and chronological progression (Figure 3). Typically, yellowed leaves remain turgid, and of symptoms that accurately identifies the disease. The eventually turn brown, desiccate, and hang down forming difficulty with LY diagnosis is that symptoms vary accord- a skirt around the trunk for several weeks before falling ing to the palm species, and in the case of coconuts, the (Figure 3). particular cultivar involved. Foliar discoloration varies markedly among coconut • Fruit drop and flower necrosis cultivars and other palm genera. For most tall-type coconut The first obvious symptom on mature palms (those able cultivars, leaves turn a golden yellow before dying, while to produce fruit) is a premature drop of most or all fruits. on dwarf cultivars, leaves generally turn a reddish- to For coconuts, the calyx (stem) end of the fruit will usually grayish-brown (Figures 4 and 5). Leaflets on the green form have a brown to black, water-soaked appearance (Figure of the ‘Malayan Dwarf’ cultivar may be folded around the 1). Next, inflorescence (flower) necrosis (death) develops. midvein. Affected leaves appear noticeably flaccid rather Normally light yellow to creamy white in color, emerging than turgid, giving an overall wilted appearance to the palm flower spikelets are instead partially or totally blackened. canopy (Figure 4), but this is not a consistent symptom. Male flowers abscise from flower spikelets and no fruit is Foliar yellowing develops on such species as Caryota mitis set. These symptoms will only be observed if the palm is (clustering fishtail palm) (Figure 6), C. rumphiana (Figure flowering or fruiting when the disease develops. 7), Chelyocarpus chuco, Corypha elata, Dictyospermum Lethal Yellowing (LY) of Palm 2 album (hurricane or princess palm), Hyophorbe ver- schaffeltii (spindle palm) (Figure 8), Livistona chinensis (Chinese fan palm) (Figure 9), Pritchardia spp., and Trachycarpus fortunei (windmill palm). For other palm species, such as Adonidia merrillii (Christ- mas palm), Borassus flabellifer (palmyra palm) (Figure 10), Dypsis decaryi (Triangle palm) (Figure 11), Phoenix spp. (Canary Island date palm, date palm, wild date palm) (Figures 12, 13, and 14), and Veitchia arecina (Montgomery palm), successively younger leaves turn varying shades of reddish-brown to dark brown or gray rather than a distinc- tive yellow. Figure 4. Green form of ‘Malayan Dwarf’ Cocos nucifera with Lethal Yellowing exhibiting discoloration of leaves (grayish-brown rather than yellow) and overall wilted appearance. Credits: N.A. Harrison Figure 2. Foliar yellowing symptoms of Cocos nucifera due to Lethal Yellowing. Credits: N.A. Harrison Figure 5. ‘Maypan’ Cocos nucifera with Lethal Yellowing exhibiting discoloration of leaves (grayish-brown rather than yellow). Credits: N.A. Harrison Figure 3. ‘Jamaica Tall’ Cocos nucifera on left is exhibiting Lethal Yellowing symptoms of a solitary yellowed leaf (“flag leaf”) in middle of canopy plus dead leaves hanging down around trunk. Credits: T.K. Broschat Lethal Yellowing (LY) of Palm 3 Figure 6. Foliar yellowing symptoms of Lethal Yellowing on Caryota Figure 8. Foliar yellowing symptoms of Lethal Yellowing on Hyophorbe mitis. verschaffeltii. Credits: N.A. Harrison Credits: N.A. Harrison Figure 7. Foliar yellowing symptoms of Lethal Yellowing on Caryota Figure 9. Foliar yellowing symptoms of Lethal Yellowing on Livistona rumphiana. chinensis. Credits: N.A. Harrison Credits: N.A. Harrison Lethal Yellowing (LY) of Palm 4 Figure 10. Foliar browning symptoms of Lethal Yellowing on Borassus Figure 12. Foliar browning symptoms of Lethal Yellowing on Phoenix flabellifer. dactylifera. Credits: N.A. Harrison Credits: N.A. Harrison Figure 11.