Coconut leaf disease under control by CRI
View(s):By Sunimalee Dias
Sri Lanka’s coconut industry’s recent leaf disease that has led to destroying nearly 300,000 trees has been controlled by authorities.
Officials at the Coconut Research Institute (CRI) told The Sunday Times Business that they were able to control the spread of the disease by taking the right measures and cutting down the affected trees.
It was noted that there was no medication or chemical that could be used to eradicate this disease that had affected some coconut trees in the Galle, Weligama and parts of Hambantota district.
The only solution for the eradication of the disease was to cut down the tress and then destroy them where the insects are found.
Officials note that no medical solution had been found anywhere else in the world either.
It was pointed out that once these affected trees were cut down no new plants were allowed to be replanted for about the last seven years since the threat of the spread of the disease was high.
During this time the CRI has ensured that the rest of the coconut plants are monitored by maintaining a radius of 3km where the disease is less prevalent.
Within and outside this 3km border, areas are being monitored and as a result some areas have now been released for new replanting with a disease resistant variety.
The resistant variety is produced by making a Green Dwarf coconut plant cross with a tall variety that is called CRIC 365. For the first time last year replanting commenced by the CRI.
Another preventive measure adopted by the authorities was to not send the coconut plucked out of these areas outside of the region they were cultivated in a bid to control the spread of the disease to other parts of the country.
Of the approximately 65 million coconut trees in the country only about 300,000 have been affected and cut down.
Due to the constant monitoring carried out by the CRI the authorities in Sri Lanka have been able to control the spread of the disease to any other areas.
The disease is still prevalent in these parts of the country and it continues to be monitored by the CRI.
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