Disease: Gliocladium blight (Pink rot)

Pathogen: Gliocladium vermoeseni (fungus)

Hosts: Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Chamaedorea elegans, Chamaedorea erumpens, Chamaedorea seifrizzi, other Chamaedorea spp., Chamaerops humilis, Dypsis decaryi, Dypsis lutescens, other Dypsis spp., Howea belmoreana, Howea fosteriana, Phoenix dactylifera, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Washingtonia robusta

Symptoms: Invasive rot of buds, petioles, leaf blades and trunks/stems; dark brown necrotic areas near the base of the stem on most palms; gummy exudates; premature death of fronds; necrotic streaks from base of rachis; chlorotic pinnae; stem girdling; plant death. 

Signs: Tremendous number of pink- to salmon-colored spore masses on the surface of diseased plants.

IPM: Minimize plant wounding; use of approved fungicides, especially as a prophylactic during transplanting; trunk surgery followed by fungicides; rogue diseased plants from nursery; minimize water splashing between plants; remove dead leaves from each potted plant (while avoided stem injury) followed by application of a general contact fungicide (maneb or mancozeb) or systemic fungicide (such as thiophanate methyl); use increased plant spacing; promote air movement and decreased relative humidity; irrigate in morning to avoid prolonged periods of foliar wetness; grow crops under cover where needed to avoid excessive rainfall; maintain good pest control program to minimize plant injury due to insect feeding.

Fungicides*: Dithane, Thiophanate methyl.  Apply fungicides after removing diseased leaves.

 

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*Named products are not necessarily recommended by the University of Hawaii.

*Always follow the pesticide label instructions.