The homeowners at South Bar Club became concerned when they noticed their coconut trees were dead and dying. And in a “desperate bid” to save the trees on their property and in the island, they sought expert advice from Dr Broschat, a professor in Tropical Ornamental Horticulture at the University of Florida’s Ft Lauderdale Research and Education Centre.
Dr Broschat examined the trees at Harbour Island and the news is not good. The lethal yellowing disease is endemic and is on the way to killing the coconut palms on the island.
He emphasised to homeowners at a luncheon meeting at the South Bar Clubhouse Saturday the importance of restricting the import of field grown palms from Florida to prevent the other palm diseases from becoming established in The Bahamas.
Also at the meeting were Simeon Pinder, deputy director of the Ministry of Agriculture; Eric Carey, of the Bahamas National Trust; Angela Cleare, Ministry of Tourism; Bruce Pinder, Rocky Farms; Adam Borman, Fox Hill Nursery and Jimmy Knowles, former Minister of Agriculture.
The visitors were taken on a walking tour of the South Bar property to witness first hand the devastation being wrought by the disease.
Dr Broschat said there is trouble in paradise because while the disease is endemic in South Bar, it is not restricted and has been observed in trees in other parts of the island.
The disease was widespread in New Providence in the early 1990s following the passage of Hurricane Andrew and a large number of trees in the southwest area were found to be infected. It was soon discovered that trees in other sections of the island had been exposed to the disease, which left them looking like “telephone poles.”
Lethal yellowing has been around since the 1800s, according to Dr Broschat, but where it came from is still unknown. He said there are many misconceptions about how the disease is spread but there is only is only one way and that is by a tiny insect, the plant hopper, that feeds on the palms.
Dr Broschat insisted that there is no cure for lethal yellowing, although the infection can be controlled with regular injections of Oxytetracycline, an antibiotic powder mixed with tap water. He reiterated that there is no resistant coconut varieties and the disease can only be stopped by medication if caught early enough, and prevented in trees that have not been infected.
The residents of South Bar Club were instructed on how to detect the disease and how to treat the palms once it was found. He exhibited the antibiotic powder and the container into which the solution would be poured for attachment to the tree.
The professor warned that there are other varieties of palms that are susceptible to the lethal yellowing disease and reemphasised that restrictions should be placed on imported palms. He said there are diseases in Florida worse than lethal yellowing that will certainly take root in The Bahamas if trees continue to be imported.
South Bar homeowner John Rolls appealed to the government officials for a duty free concession on the needed medicines to allow people in other parts of the island to treat their diseased trees.
“It’s not in the country’s interest to dissuade people from importing necessary materials,” he said.
By Anthony Capron, The Nassau Guardian
