Sticking leaflets - coconut tree in Bangladesh

[Yohannes Samosir]

Hello,

I have seen abnormal coconut trees as described by the
student in his email and photos below. The leaflets
are not properly unfolded. Would anyone make
explanation the cause?

Thank you.
Yohannes

--
>
> Dear Sir
>
> I am a botany student of Dhaka University,
> Bangladesh. I find-out a
> Coconut tree at Barisal which appeared a bit
> different from common
> ones. Everything is similar to other Coconuts except
> the leaves. I
> tried here consulted some specialists but without
> success. I send some
> photographs of the tree. Would you be as kind as it
> identify the
> specimen in photograph and comment on the same? Is
> it a variety or
> just a strain? I am waiting eagerly for your kind
> reply.
>
> Sincerely yours
>
> Sourav Mahmud
>
> Contact Address
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sourav Mahmud
> C/O- Professor
> Diwjen Sharma
> 42, Siddeswari
> Road,
> Crystal Garden,
> E-mail:
> bdso...@gmail.com
> Dhaka-1217,
> Bangladesh.
> Phone-
> +8801716633633
>
> +88029345510
>
>
>

____________________________________________________________________________________
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[Kasturi Bai]

Hello,
This is a typical boron deficiency symptom. By soil
application of 100 to 150 grms boron (+ irrigation)
to the affected palms this can be set right.
Application of boron need to be continued till the
palms put forth normal leaves.
K. V. Kasturi Bai, CPCRI, Kasaragod

____________________________________________________________________________________
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[Hugh]

Dear Dr Kasturi Bai

By coincidence, the recent current issue of the International Palm
Society Journal "PALMS" ( Vol 51. No 3 September 2007) has an article
"Boron Deficiency Symptoms in Palms" by Tim Broschat.

And Yohannes, when you reply to Sourav Mahmud, why not suggest that he
joins Google Coconut Information Exchange Group by clicking on
http://groups.google.com/group/coconut/subscribe ?

Hugh
====

On Sep 20, 8:21 am, Kasturi Bai <kastur...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hello,
> This is a typical boron deficiency symptom. By soil
> application of 100 to 150 grms boron (+ irrigation)
> to the affected palms this can be set right.
> Application of boron need to be continued till the
> palms put forth normal leaves.
> K. V. Kasturi Bai, CPCRI, Kasaragod

> > > bdsou...@gmail.com

[baudouin]

Hugh,

This is an extract of "Phenotypic diversity of foliar traits in coconut
germplasm"

V. Arunachalam1,*, B.A. Jerard2, V. Damodaran3, M.J. Ratnambal1 and P.M.
Kumaran 2005

Genetic resources and crop evolution Vol 52 1031-1037

There are certain mutant coconut palms possessing maximum fused leaflets
even after decade of planting known as plicata (Sugimura et al. 1994). They
are known to be late in flowering and bearing. Padmanabhan (1998) reports
the regular intercostals folds giving high degree of symmetry of placations
(sic) in coconut. Several structural and activity patterns of laminar
meristem control the architecture of plication. A single recessive gene
controls this trait in oil palm (Zeven 1964). Arunachalam et al. (2001)
carried out the morphological characterization of plicata palms. [.] Boron
deficiency also leads to this type of symptoms. However, plicata mutant
palms do not respond to boron application and continue to remain with fused
leaflets.

The mutation is called idolatrica (or "fetish palm") in oil palm

Luc

-----

[Hugh Harries]

Luc

Your quotation about the plicata form is very helpful but it exposes gaps in my  knowledge!

I do not know three of the citations mentioned in the quotation:

Sugimura et al. 1994
Padmanabhan 1998
Arunachalam et al. 2001

Please could you send me the details, so that I can add them to Coconut Time Line at http://cocos.arecaceae.com/

The Zeven 1964 oil palm paper is familiar but I recall that when I read it (many years ago) I thought that the single recessive gene hypothesis might not apply to coconut palm because in one of the variety trials in Jamaica we had a plicata coconut palm that was an F1 hybrid that Roger Whitehead had produced by controlled hand pollination. Both of the parents had been selected as better than average and the other seedlings from the cross were normal in every respect. Of course, in contrast to oil palm, there were not many seedlings from any particular cross, so my doubts may not have been correct.

Also in 1964, when Whitehead made his Pacific germplasm collection, he noted that "palms with fused pinnae are called 'Niu Yabia' (weeping coconuts) in Fiji" and he found that "the condition occurs in isolated palms throughout the islands visited".

Subsequently, I have wondered if the plicata form might be the sort of chimera that seems to be associated with the 11-year solar cycle - a mutation caused by increased radiation at times of high sun-spot activity.

Although that would also be difficult to prove it might also occur when coconut palms are exposed to nuclear radiation - did any US, British or French agronomist ever survey coconut palms on the Pacific islands where atom bombs or hydrogen bombs had been tested? Mutations, many perhaps lethal, might be expected in the first generation of seedlings and the non-lethal mutant progenies would still be there today.

And they would have cause to be weeping!

Hugh Harries

Coconut Time Line

[John]

I have seen what I think is this type of mutation on other palms. One is
the Chamaerops humillis 'volcano' the other one was recently described by
Scott Zona in Palms, the journal of the International Palm Society. It was
named Sabal palmetto 'Lisa'.
I have also seen what has been referred to as witches broom in other plant
families. This may be the way it manifests itself in palms?
John

[PLDT FOA- Gerardo Santos]

hello,

The photos showm resemble a type of coconut called "plicata" which is described as a coconut palm with fused leaflets in ALL fronds. It is (if i remember right) described in the book of Menon & Pandalai. It is differentiated from the effect of boron deficiency which is exemplified in the attached photo. Notice that NOT all of the leaflets in ALL the fronds are fused.

Gerry S.

[Severino Magat]

 

Hi ! 

 

Seemingly, many are concerned and responded on this subject abnormality of  coconut palms in Bangladesh reported/ inquired by Sourav Mahmud.  Many claim this abormal non-splitting ("sticking") of palm leaves is likely a genetic aberration, a mutant or an inherent characteristic of  coconut variety (or an unwanted variability within a cultivar ?

 

Anyhow, some suspect these palms reported have been suffering from boron (B) deficiency.

Well, we know  the micronutrient B is essential for cell division and development; activates certain enzymes; facilitates translocation of starch/sugars in the plant, synthesis of nucleic acid and plant hormones. Moreover, boron deficiency could result in abnormal pollination coconut flowers, attributed to malformation of coconut pollen, eventually causing very low fruit set and abnormal nut development.

 

There are diagnostic ways to confirmed boron deficiency of palms (seedlings, young palms and mature/fruit-bearing trees): 1) soluble or avaialble soil B is lower than 0.50 ppm (mg/kg); 2) leaf B lower than 10 ppm indicates insufficiency levels of plant B; 3) under severe/extreme deficiency, leaflets fail to split normallly, that appears serrated, zigzag appearance; 4) at the advance stage, plant apical region/youngest tissues eventually exhibits "blackening "  or growth failure and ensuing death of plant tissues.

 

If indeed, palms are suffering from B deficiency, this problem can be corrected with the application of boron as: 1) borax (11% B), a white crystalline salt (Na tetraborate); 2) Na Octaborate (20%B); and 3) boric acid (17% B).  Rates of  50 - 150 g/tree per 6 -12 months is usually used and ensuing application necessary of lower rates (50 -100 g/tree) may still be needed until full recovery of palms achieved.  Toxicity symptoms in leaf margins ("tip burns" as B tends to concentrate in this leaf region) is not uncommon to happen (for micronutrients like B the dividing line between deficiency and toxicity is a very narrow one).  but palms can recover from toxicity.

 

Hoping this helps.

 

Cheers,

 

Sev Magat

 

 

 

 

 

Yohannes Samosir <ysam...@yahoo.com> wrote:

---

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[Rethinam P]

Dear All
After seeing all the mails on this issue I too agree with Dr.Maggot & Dr Kasturi Bai on boron and its role in such condition.Research has shown that application of 100 g / palm for severely affected palms at first dose and after 3 month  it can be repeated. Then observe the palms. In such areas annual application of 50 g / palm can be adopted as we are doing in India for both Oil Palm and Coconut.Soil and leaf analysis can be done to identify and confirm. In such deficit areas research can be taken up to study the effect of boron . Spraying can be done if  mechanical fecilities are availble.

Dr. P. Rethinam
Plantation Crops Management Specialist
18,Lakshmi Nagar
S.N. Palayam
Coimbatore 641007
Tamil Nadu, India

Phone: 91-422-2430832 (home)
91-422-2440099 (home)
91-9443751386 (cell)
Email: pal...@hotmail.com
Palm...@yahoo.com

---

Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:15:29 -0700
From: sev_...@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Sticking leaflets - coconut tree in Bangladesh
To: coc...@googlegroups.com

 

Hi ! 

 

Seemingly, many are concerned and responded on this subject abnormality of  coconut palms in Bangladesh reported/ inquired by Sourav Mahmud.  Many claim this abormal non-splitting ("sticking") of palm leaves is likely a genetic aberration, a mutant or an inherent characteristic of  coconut variety (or an unwanted variability within a cultivar ?

 

Anyhow, some suspect these palms reported have been suffering from boron (B) deficiency.

Well, we know  the micronutrient B is essential for cell division and development; activates certain enzymes; facilitates translocation of starch/sugars in the plant, synthesis of nucleic acid and plant hormones. Moreover, boron deficiency could result in abnormal pollination coconut flowers, attributed to malformation of coconut pollen, eventually causing very low fruit set and abnormal nut development.

 

There are diagnostic ways to confirmed boron deficiency of palms (seedlings, young palms and mature/fruit-bearing trees): 1) soluble or avaialble soil B is lower than 0.50 ppm (mg/kg); 2) leaf B lower than 10 ppm indicates insufficiency levels of plant B; 3) under severe/extreme deficiency, leaflets fail to split normallly, that appears serrated, zigzag appearance; 4) at the advance stage, plant apical region/youngest tissues eventually exhibits "blackening "  or growth failure and ensuing death of plant tissues.

 

If indeed, palms are suffering from B deficiency, this problem can be corrected with the application of boron as: 1) borax (11% B), a white crystalline salt (Na tetraborate); 2) Na Octaborate (20%B); and 3) boric acid (17% B).  Rates of  50 - 150 g/tree per 6 -12 months is usually used and ensuing application necessary of lower rates (50 -100 g/tree) may still be needed until full recovery of palms achieved.  Toxicity symptoms in leaf margins ("tip burns" as B tends to concentrate in this leaf region) is not uncommon to happen (for micronutrients like B the dividing line between deficiency and toxicity is a very narrow one).  but palms can recover from toxicity.

 

Hoping this helps.

 

Cheers,

 

Sev Magat

 

 

 

 

 

Yohannes Samosir <ysam...@yahoo.com> wrote:

---

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[Hugh Harries]

Dear Dr Rethinam

As you say that you agree with Sev let us hope that he will not mind
that your email spell checker confused his name - my spell checker
offers Bethina for yours!

But you surely accept that boron is not the whole answer?

Luc Baudouin has quoted reasonable genetic arguments from a detailed
study on the "picata" variant
[Luc, can you help me with Sugimura et al. 1994; Padmanabhan 1998;
Arunachalam et al. 2001]

And Gerry Santos has suggested a way to differentiate "plicata" - with
fused leaflets in ALL fronds - from boron deficiency - NOT all of the

leaflets in ALL the fronds are fused.

Perhaps the student (Sourav Mahmud; E-mail: bdso...@gmail.com) who
first contacted Yohannes will join our group, read all these messages,
and ask his supervisor (Professor Diwjen Sharma) if he can test these
ideas for himself?

Hugh Harries

Coconut Time Line

[V Arunachalam]

Dear Hugh,

This palm if not responding to boron application could be a plicata mutant. We have initiated studying the progenies of such palms by selfing of one plicata mutant at kasaragod recently. After few years we may get the answer on the genetics of this trait if heritable.

Plicata palms are also known to be very late in flowering / bearing. Is it the case in this palm,

 

 

 

 

With best wishes,
V.Arunachalam
Scientist Horticulture
Genetics lab. CPCRI Kasaragod 671 124 Kerala
India
E-mail : vadivelar...@yahoo.com

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[baudouin]

Hugh,

Here are the references:

 

Arunachalam V., Jerard B.A., Elangovan M., Ratnambal M.J., Rizal S.K. and Damodaran V. 2001. Unexploited diversity in
coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.). Plant Genet. Resour. Newslett. 127: 39–43.

Padmanabhan D. 1998. Concepts in the developmental morphology of the palm leaf – a review. Phytomorphology 48(1): 345–360.

Sugimura Y., Rocat D., Salud C.D. and Kamata N. 1994. Characterisation of coconut palms with plicate leaves. Jpn.
J. Trop. Agricult. 38: 119–123.

Besides, as far as I know, this kind of phenomenon has to do with boron metabolism, but

1. if all the leaves have all their leaflets fused,
2. if the phenomenon appears on a single tree (or in a single family)

it is most probably genetic and in that case, 1 boron applications will not work.

 

Luc

----- Original Message -----
From: "Hugh Harries" <hugh.h...@gmail.com>
To: coc...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 8:31 AM
Subject: Re: Sticking leaflets - coconut tree in Bangladesh
[...]

 [Luc, can you help me with Sugimura et al. 1994; Padmanabhan 1998;
 Arunachalam et al. 2001]

[...]

[Sourav Mahmud]

Dear all,
It's me sourav from Bangladesh. I found-out the coconut tree, and try
for know some information about it. Some scientist of different
country said it was lack of some nuturient. But the tree was 30-35
years old. And where the tree was grown here as a raws of coconut
tree. They'r not all are same like cocos nucifera and soil condition
was same.

Sourav Mahmud
Depeartment of Botany
Student of Dhaka University.Bangladesh

[Nilus Kalitu]

Dear Mr Sourav Mahmud,

Thanks you for your enquiry regarding the coconut palms you found
in Bangladesh. I am sorry to say that, I cannot give you any in formation
ragarding it as I have not seen those kind of coconut palm in our
coutry either. Thank You.

Nilus

eg6513

[Rethinam P]

Dear Dr.Harries,
Thanks for your reply. I do not want to continue in this sticking leaflets discussion.There are many issues we have to concentrate.

Dr. P. Rethinam
Plantation Crops Management Specialist
18,Lakshmi Nagar
S.N. Palayam
Coimbatore 641007
Tamil Nadu, India

Phone: 91-422-2430832 (home)
91-422-2440099 (home)
91-9443751386 (cell)
Email: pal...@hotmail.com
Palm...@yahoo.com

> Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 07:31:53 +0100
> From: hugh.h...@gmail.com
> To: coc...@googlegroups.com

[Luiz Gonzaga]

Group

Certainly it isn't boron deficiency. Two typical symptoms are reducing the
leaf size and fold the leaflets (not retain them linked).

In Brazil we call this coconut tree as "coqueiro manteiga" .This name is
something like "butter coconut tree". Of course, here this name varies
according the region.

The leaflets are not unfolded. In fact the young leaf doesn't open or
liberate the leaflets. It is similar to a hand with linked fingers, except
the thumb. It doesn't occur on all leaflets.

We have no doubt that it is a genetic problem, that promotes phenotypic
variation. We don't know exactly what the cause is.

It is present on all commercial coconut trees (dwarf, giant and hybrid - PB)
in Brazil, but its occurrence is very low, negligible.

It is a negative character for coconut production.

Luiz GonzagaBione Ferraz, D.Sc.
IPA's Coconut Researcher.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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15:59

[Sourav Mahmud]

Dear,
All

Thank you very much for E-mail and gave me some information about the
coconut tree of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh I find out this single
coconut tree. we have world single and threatened palm Corypha
taliera (Tali). I think the coconut tree was a mutant variety. For
further research I will collects fruits of the tree for germination.
After I success for growing
a new tree from germination , after that we will find a new result
about the tree. I am a M Phil student of Dhaka University of
Bangladesh. My research title is The exploration and Documentation
of Flora of Lawachara National Park, Maulvibazar . Six groups of
Primates and about 300 species of birds, many reptiles and amphibious
lived in the forest. The semi-evergreen mixed forest is situated
Sylhet Division,Bangladesh . I am also a free-lance writer about
Science. Nature, Wildlife,Environment and birds. iI am writing
article in national newspaper and magazine of Bangladesh. I also try
for research Ornitho-botany. I some times works Wildlife Trust Of
Bangladesh. I hope I will send some information about the coconut tree
within October 25. Now I'm in Dhaka, after some days I will go to
Barisal where the coconut tree was grown. I hope some coconut
scientist will come in Bangladesh for investigation about the single
tree. I will manage all the hospitality if some one came in
Bangladesh.

With Best regards

Sourav Mahmud

Phone +8802-01716633633

[Luiz Gonzaga]

Sourav Mahmud

I would like know if may I use yours photos about Sticking leaflets? Off
course, I will mention your name and that it is in Bangladesh.

Thank you

Luiz Gonzaga Bione Ferraz
IPA's Coconut Researcher

> --

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> Checked by AVG Free Edition.

> Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.13.35/1040 - Release Date:
> 30/9/2007 21:01
>

[sourav mahmud]

Dear,

Luiz Gonzaga Bione Ferraz
IPA's Coconut Researcher

Really ,you are in Bangladesh. Where you lived? I know that I will write a full article about the coconut tree. If you published any article about the tree in any book and also magazine ,dailies  please mention about me because I was the first man who was find-out the coconut tree in Barisal. And I'm also a resident of Barisal. It was my home town.  Please  give me  short note  about Sticking leaflets.

With kindest regards

Sourav Mahmud