Palm disease spreading

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 9th May 2013

 By MALUM NALU

THE Bogia coconut syndrome, which has killed thousands of coconut trees in Madang, is rapidly spreading with symptoms already showing in major food crops, the Cocoa Coconut Institute (CCI) and National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) warned yesterday.

CCI’s officer-in-charge of the  Stewart Research Station, Alfred Kembu, and NAQIA’s senior entomologist David Tenakanai warned in no uncertain terms that the country was sitting on a time bomb.

Kembu told The National yesterday that the disease – caused by an unknown micro organism – was spreading from villages in Bogia to Sumkar and Madang town. 

After having laid a trail of dead coconut trees, it was now wreaking havoc on betel nut trees, bananas, sago trees and other food crops such as taro and yams.

The danger is that it could attack Stewart Research Station’s prized gene bank of coconut trees from all over PNG and the region.

The syndrome has seen strong coconut trees suddenly wilt and die.

When the first case was reported several years ago, it was thought that the tree had been struck by lightning until other trees started showing the similar symptoms.

Betel nut and sago palms, as well as food crops, are now wilting and dying.

“In this regard, food security is a big concern for our people in these three areas,” Kembu said.

“It is very serious. We initially knew that it was confined to coconuts and bananas, but now it has gone on to betel nut, sago and various other food crops.

“This is supposed to be a disease of palm trees, but unfortunately for us in PNG, it’s jumping from palms to crops, which makes it more dangerous. It’s a big problem that the government will need to support.”

Kembu said to help contain the spread, CCI was working with NAQIA, provincial division of agriculture and livestock, Ramu Agri Industries and Oil Palm Industry Association. A checkpoint had been set up at Tapo in Bogia.

Tenakanai also emphasised the seriousness of the Bogia Coconut Syndrome.

“The big concern for Papua New Guinea is that the disease is moving towards the gene bank at Stewart Research Station,” he said.

“The concern is that the gene bank contains all the varieties of coconuts from around the world.

“It’s very bad in the sense that it kills coconuts in just three months.

The government had allocated K700,000 to set up the checkpoint at Tapo, in the Rai Coast, he said.