Weligama Coconut Leaf Wilt Disease still a critical threat

Monday, 13 January 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Text and pix by Priyan de Silva -Matara Sports Correspondent The Weligama Coconut Leaf Wilt Disease (WCLWD) first detected in the latter part of 2006 still remains a critical threat to the crop in the Southern Province and may spread to the other parts of the country unless proper management strategies are implemented. Coconut which is one of the three major plantation crops in Sri Lanka covers an extent of 394,386 hectares of which 43.58% lies in the Southern Province. Coconut is grown on 12,543 hectares in Galle, 14,398 hectares in Matara and 20,733 hectares in Hambantota.

"nNo cure, can only be controlled by cutting down trees and incinerating the crowns and leaves nSpreading can be controlled by enforcing Gazette Notification No. 1542/7 of 24 March 2008 which prohibits the transport of any palm species or their live products from infected areas to other parts of the country" Of the estimated 2,170,752 coconut palms in theses three districts 296,844 are said to be

affected by the disease. The worst affected is the Matara district with 221,236 palms of a total of 1,019,754 palms (almost 22%) affected with Galle a close second with 21%. Once infected, a coconut palm will die within two years. There is no known cure and cutting down infected trees and incinerating the crowns are the only practical solutions to arrest the spread of the disease. Most of these infected trees have been eradicated and the detection and eradication has to continue till the disease disappears. The Weligama coconut wilt disease is caused by phytoplasmas and transmitted by infective insect vectors, vegetative propagation or grafting of infected planting material to healthy plants, by vascular connections made between infected and uninfected host plants by parasitic plants and by seed/embryo transmission. The area where the disease is prevalent has been demarcated and a boundary three kilometres wide on either side of the A17 trunk road from Galle running through Angulugaha, Henegama, Akuressa, Kamburupitiya, Kirinda – Puhulwella, Hakmana, Walsmulla , Beliatta and ending in Tangalle has been demarcated. The Government, by gazette notification No. 1542/7 of 24 March 2008, has prohibited the transport of any palm species and their live parts out of the demarcated boundary. The prohibition has not been enforced strictly and the transport of un-husked coconut, raw coconut husk, raw coconut leaves, areca nut, palm trees and parts continue. “We have to strictly enforce the prohibition and expect the public to cooperate. We may even have to seek the assistance of the Police and armed forces to prevent the spread of the disease,” said Secretary, Ministry of Ministry of Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Nihal Somaweera addressing government officials and coconut growers at the dissemination workshop held at the conclusion of the FAO sponsored TCP/SRL 3303 project. The FAO granted $ 307,000 for this project. Chief Secretary of the Southern province W.K.K. Athukorala Chairperson of the Weligama Coconut Leaf Wilt Disease steering Committee, Coconut Research Institute Director Dr. H.A. Jayantha Gunathilake, Additional Directress CRI and National Project Coordinator Dr. L.C. Priyanthi Fernando, Principal Research Officer - Genetic and plant Breeding Division of the CRI Dr. Chandrika Perera and Dr. Premalal Kuruppuarachchi of the Food & Agriculture Organization made presentations at the workshop held at the Sanaya Mansion Hotel in Matara.