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Pacific Pests, Pathogens & Weeds - Mini Fact Sheet Edition

Coconut seedling basal stem break (069)

Photo 1. Toadstools of Marasmiellus cocophillus growing from the junction of petiole and coconut husk.

Photo 2. Little-leaf symptom on a seedling planted out in the field, associated with infection by Marasmiellus cocophillus in the nursery.

Summary

Narrow distribution. East Africa, Solomon Islands. Hosts are coconuts and grasses.
In the nursery: older leaves die early, white fungal threads and toadstools grow between leaves and seednut. Root decay. In the field: root decay causes little-leaf but, later, palms recover (Solomon Islands). In East Africa, bole rots and death occurs.
Spread by spores; East Africa, root-to-root contact, wounds.
Impact uncertain: only one outbreak in Solomon Islands. In East Africa, the situation became confused when a lethal phytoplasma disease was reported from the same area, challenging the fungal nature of the disease.
Cultural control: in nursery: weed; spacing (>1m).
Chemical control: trim nuts, drench in tridemorph.

Common Name

Coconut seedling basal stem break (Solomon Islands), lethal bole rot (the name given to the disease caused by Marasmiellus cocophilus in Kenya and Tanzania).

Scientific Name

Marasmiellus cocophilus

AUTHORS Helen Tsatsia & Grahame Jackson

Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

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