Disease Attacking Islands’ Coconut Trees pg.3
Eradication is now only voluntary, and Visintainer said he hopes the disease does not spread so widely the state has to order trees to be destroyed to wipe out the disease, as was done with bunchy top virus. Visintainer said that would be a disaster because coconut trees grow much more slowly, at a rate of about a foot each year.
While diseased trees are doomed, Visintainer said, preliminary research by UH has shown inoculating the trunk of a healthy tree with fertilizer provides protection from the fungus.
“It’s important that everyone get together before it is too late,” Visintainer said. “These trees are invaluable and we don’t want to get into a situation where they are all dying.”
