Phoenix Roebelenii Research Articles

Two new species and a new host record of Pleosporales (Dothideomycetes) from palm (Arecaceae) in Guangdong Province, China

ABSTRACT Pleosporales is the largest order of Ascomycota which is distributed worldwide. Among the wide range of hosts, Pleosporales species are frequently isolated from palms. During the surveys of palm fungi from 2020 to 2021, rotting tissues of Licuala peltata var. sumawongii, Phoenix roebelenii and Trachycarpus fortunei were collected in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Fungal isolates were identified based on morphological characteristics and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses. In the present study, we introduce two new species viz. Byssosphaeria guangdongense and Paraconiothyrium guangdongensis. In addition, we introduce a new host record for Trachycarpus fortunei. Photo plates, detailed descriptions, and in-depth phylogenetic analysis results are provided for all identified taxa. Our findings expand the understanding of the fungi that are associated with palm hosts. Moreover, our data will contribute to the knowledge of the biodiversity of South China.

Ganoderma zonatum causes butt rot of areca (Dypsis lutescens) and robellini (Phoenix roebelenii) palms in Florida.

Ganoderma butt rot is a lethal disease of palms (Arecaceae) prevalent in palm-growing regions in the US that infects at least 58 species of palms (Elliott and Broschat 2001). Early symptoms appear as wilting of older fronds in the lower part of the canopy, and as disease progresses, wilting advances to younger leaves higher in the canopy towards the unopened spear leaf eventually killing the palm. A characteristic sign of the disease is the appearance of fruiting bodies (basidiomata) at the base of the palm trunk close to soil line. Ganoderma butt rot disease was detected on clustering palm species, areca palms, with 9 (82%) clusters showing Ganoderma basidiocarps and dead stumps, and mortality was observed in 5 (45%) clusters. A sterile scalpel was used to transfer the context tissue from Ganoderma basidiomata to full-strength potato dextrose agar selective media supplemented with streptomycin (100 mg/l), lactic acid (2 ml/l) and benomyl (4 mg/l). The pure culture for isolate GAN-33 was grown at 28°C in complete darkness for 10 days. The fungal colony was ivory white in color that grew radially as a dense mycelial mat without any sporulation. To establish the identity of the fungus, DNA was extracted using the Qiagen DNeasy PowerSoil kit (Cat. #12888). Three barcoding genes, nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) and translation elongation factor 1α (tef1α) were amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al 1990), bRPB2-6f/bRPB2-b7.1R (Matheny et al 2007) and EF1-983F/EF1-2212R (Matheny et al 2007), respectively. The sequences were deposited in GenBank, accession numbers KX853442, KX853466 and KX853491 for ITS, rpb2 and tef1α, respectively (Elliott et al 2018). Comparison to the NCBI nucleotide sequence database identified isolate GAN-33 as Ganoderma zonatum based on 100, 99 and 99% similarity to ITS, rpb2 and tef1α sequences, respectively. Pathogenicity of G. zonatum isolate GAN-33 was determined on 1-year old seedlings of areca palm (Dypsis lutescens) and pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii). Ganoderma zonatum inoculum was prepared by transferring two-week old cultures to autoclaved wheat berries and allowed to colonize for two weeks. Seedlings were gently removed from the pot and the roots were trimmed before placing them back in the pot ensuring that the roots were in contact with the G. zonatum colonized wheat berries. The inoculated and control seedlings were maintained in a growth chamber at 28°C 60% RH (daytime) and 24°C 50% RH (night time), 12h:8h light:dark period, and watered twice a week. Initial wilting symptoms started appearing approximately one month after inoculation and mortality was observed for a total of four seedlings at three months after inoculation i.e., 2 out of 3 G. zonatum inoculated seedlings died for both areca and robellini palms, whereas the non-inoculated areca and robellini palm control seedlings remained healthy and alive. The pathogen was re-isolated from inoculated roots, and its identity was confirmed by colony morphology and PCR using G. zonatum specific primers (Chakrabarti et al 2022). To the best of our knowledge this is the first report establishing G. zonatum as the pathogen responsible for Ganoderma butt rot of palms.

Desiccation, storage and physiological quality of Phoenix roebelenii O’Brien (Arecaceae) seeds

Phoenix roebelenii is a palm species widely used in Brazil due to its exuberant leaves and adaptability to different climatic variations. For proper propagation, detailed information about seed viability, vigor and longevity subjected to dehydration and storage is yet to be obtained. For this purpose, the present research comprised two stages. The first one aimed at evaluating the response of seeds to desiccation and storage based on formal protocols. In the second stage, seeds were desiccated to 33, 30, 25, 23, 20, 18, 16, 12, 10 and 7% of water content by monitoring water loss in a convection oven at 35±2°C. After reaching each established water content, the seeds were subjected to germination tests. At 65 days after sowing, root length, root area, volume and diameter, shoot and eophyll length, and total seedling fresh and dry weights, were measured. Significant increases in germination and eophyll length were observed for lower seed water contents. Aversely, collar diameter decreased with seed desiccation. Highlights: Phoenix roebelenii seeds are orthodox. Reduced seed water content increased the percentage of germination, the germination speed index, and eophyll length of Phoenix roebelenii seedlings. Significant increases in germination and eophyll length were observed for lower seed water contents. Aversely, collar diameter decreased with seed desiccation.

Occurrence of Leaf Spot Caused by Neodeightonia phoenicum on Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) in China.

The pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii) is a popular ornamental plant widely cultivated in tropical regions as well as in China. In June 2018, a new leaf spot symptoms were observed on P. roebelenii in several different parks in Zhanjiang City of China. The early symptoms of infected leaves were presented with small, round, pale brown spots. As the size of these spots increased, they coalesced to form larger irregular necrotic lesions surrounded by dark brown edges, which eventually led to leaf wilted and defoliation. A filamentous fungus was consistently isolated from infected leaf samples. Colonies on PDA at 25°C (12 h light/dark) were initially white with abundant aerial mycelium, which turned fluffy and dark olivaceous after one-week culture. Pycnidial conidiomata were black and globose and formed on pine needles in water agar at 25°C (12 h light/dark) after 21 days. Conidiogenous cells were hyaline, cylindrical, holoblastic. The conidia was ovoid to ellipsoid, thick-walled, which was initially hyaline and aseptate, later turned into dark brown and 1-septate with a striate appearance to conidia, 11.6~25.0 μm×9.6~12.0 μm (av. 20.4 μm×10.1 μm). For molecular identification, the partial sequences of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, translation elongation factor (EF-1α) and β-tubulin (TUB) genes of two representative isolates RYCK-1, RYCK-2 were amplified and sequenced using primer pairs ITS/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF-688F/EF-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999), and Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995), respectively. The sequences of the above three loci of the two isolates (accession nos. ITS, OK329968 and OK329969; EF-1α, OK338067 and OK338068; TUB, OK338069 and OK338070) showed 98.4-100.0 % identity with the existing sequences of ex-type culture CBS 122528 of N. phoenicum. A multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the three loci concatenated sequences using the maximum likelihood method showed the isolates that belongs to N. phoenicum. Based on the morphological characteristics and molecular analysis of the isolates, the fungus was identified as N. phoenicum (Phillips et al. 2008). To confirm pathogenicity, five one-year-old potted plants were used for each isolate (RYCK-1 and RYCK-2) and the plants were inoculated by pricking the epidermis of the leaf with a needle. Five leaves of each plant were sprayed with 100 µl of a conidial suspension (1 × 106 conidia/ml) to the wounded surface for each plant. Sterilized distilled water was used as the control and the experiment was repeated. All the plants were incubated at 26 ± 2°C (12 h light/dark) and covered with plastic bags to maintain constant high humidity. After 14 days, all the inoculated leaves showed the same symptoms as those observed in the original diseased plants, but the control plants remained health. The reisolated fungus was identified as N. phoenicum by morphological and molecular characteristics. N. phoenicum is an important pathogen of Phoenix species plants worldwide, which have been reported to cause shoot blights and stalk rots on P. dactylifera and P. canariensis in Greece (Ligoxigakis et al. 2013) and root rot on P. dactylifera in Qatar (Nishad and Ahmed 2020). To our knowledge, this is first report N. phoenicum causing leaf spot on P. roebelenii in China.

Ultrastructure and functional morphology of the mouthparts in Raoiella mites (Tetranychoidea: Tenuipalpidae): how they use the cheliceral stylets during feeding

The flat mite genus Raoiella Hirst (Tenuipalpidae) has attracted considerable research interest due to the rapid spread of Raoiella indica Hirst which feeds most commonly on species of palms (Arecaceae). Raoiella are frequently observed with their stylets inserted into the leaf stomatal openings, suggesting they feed on this site. Herein, we use transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), low temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) and light microscopy (LM) to describe the mouthpart organization and the feeding behavior found in R. indica and R. bauchani Beard & Ochoa. The feeding mechanism is also discussed based on their distinctive morphological aspects. The structure of the gnathosoma of Raoiella generally agrees with the organization previously observed in Brevipalpus and Cenopalpus. As in other tetranychoid mites, there is no anatomical connection between the inter-stylet tube and the food channel, corroborating the theory that the stylets are used to pierce plant tissue (and assumedly inject saliva) but play no role in sucking up fluid from damaged host cells. As in Brevipalpus, the adoral setae are mechanoreceptors that may help guide the mite to the site for feeding. The ultrastructure of supracoxal setae e remains enigmatic. We also present observations of possible epidermal feeding on Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien (Arecaceae) for R. indica. Raoiella indica were shown to penetrate both the guard cells of the stomata and the epidermis of P. roebelenii, suggesting that feeding via the epidermis could be possible on this host plant.

ZnO nanoparticles prepared via a green synthesis approach: Physical properties, photocatalytic and antibacterial activity

The aqueous extract of Phoenix roebelenii palm leaves has been utilized for the first time as an effective chelating/stabilizing agent used to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) via a green chemistry approach. The physical properties of the nanoparticles were examined using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Our XRD investigations revealed that the ZnO NPs have a single phase wurtzite structure with P63mc space group. The crystallite size and lattice strain were calculated using X-ray peak broadening analysis utilizing the Williamson-Hall (W-H) method and were found to be 15.6 nm and 2.1 × 10−3 respectively. The shape of the ZnO NPs was almost spherical, as revealed by TEM analysis. The DRS spectrum showed a direct band gap energy of 3.24 eV. DTA/TGA indicated that the required calcination temperature was 500°C in order to form stable ZnO NPs. PL spectroscopy revealed the presence of weak UV emission related to the free exciton and wide visible-light emission due to oxygen vacancies and other structural defects. The reaction between P. roebelenii palm leaves extract and the zinc precursor was monitored using FTIR spectroscopy at different reaction times. The potential mechanism for the formation of the ZnO NPs using P. roebelenii leaves extract as a natural chelating and stabilizing agent has been discussed. The bioinspired ZnO NPs achieved an outstanding degradation activity of 98% toward methylene blue (MB) dye after 105 min of UV illumination. In addition, the ZnO NPs exhibit a significant bactericidal effect towards gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) pathogenic bacteria.

Biodiversity, management, and commercialization of ornamental plants at nurseries in Fortin de las Flores, Veracruz

Objective: The aim of this study was to create an inventory of the biodiversity, management, and commercialization of ornamental plants at nurseries in the municipality of Fortín de las Flores in the State of Veracruz, Mexico.
 Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 150 nursery owners.
 Results: The respondents reported a total of 230 different plants. With regard to commercialization, 20 species were reported as the most sold. The most notable species were: Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman, Caesalpinia echinata Lam., Anthurium andreanum Linden, and Phoenix roebelenii O’Brien. The biggest problem was the sale price; 65% of the nursery owners reported that they sold their plants to strangers, and that they did not belong to any organization or cooperative.
 Limitations on study/implications: The poor local technological development characterized by unspecialized small and medium-sized businesses that compete with each other with little trade organization is a result of the sociocultural context of the region. This context limits regional development. Therefore, more research regarding sociocultural aspects should be promoted.
 Findings/conclusions: We have concluded that there is an underutilization of the native agrobiodiversity, since species originating in other parts of the world are what is most often sold. This is evidenced in the main species sold as well as those that generate the highest profits for the nursery owners.

Bio-inspired Single Phase Monteponite CdO Nanoparticles via Natural Extract of Phoenix roebelenii Palm Leaves

Green synthesis of cadmium oxide nanoparticles (CdO NPs) using leaves extract of Phoenix roebelenii as a novel natural reducing/stabilizing agent was reported for the first time. The structure, morphology and optical properties of the synthesized CdO NPs were studied by various physical techniques. X-rays diffraction (XRD) analysis provided evidence of single face centered cubic Monteponite phase of the CdO NPs. Selected area electron diffraction analysis (SAED) confirmed the crystalline structure of the synthesized sample. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) results showed spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of 34.9 ± 0.4 nm. The isothermal behavior of CdO NPs was investigated by differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TGA) and the results confirmed the stability of the CdO NPs after calcination at 500 °C. The diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) indicated the presence of direct and indirect band gap with energy 2.39 and 1.91 eV respectively. Fourier Transform Infrared analysis (FTIR) showed the functional groups of bioactive compounds of Phoenix roebelenii leaves extract. Possible mechanism of interaction between these bioactive compounds and Cd precursor was proposed based on the FTIR results.

Analysis on the total allergens of phoenix roebelenii pollen with two dimensional electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting

Objective:To investigate allergen extract and to seek the main allergens of phoenix roebelenii pollen by the technology of two dimensional electrophoresis(2-DE)in protein analysis and immunoblotting.Method:Phoenix roebelenii pollen allergen extract was prepared with routine method, 2-DE combined with immunoblotting assay(Western Blotting),laser imagescanning, 2-DE gel analysis software were used to analyzing its protein components.Result:About 601 soluble proteins spots were revealed in coomassie stained gels.Most of the proteins had a molecular weight (Mr) of 20 to 130 kD, and an isoelectric point(pI) value of 4.0 to 8.0. Immunoblotting of 2-DE were showed and there were 19 specific antigen spots, compared with the controls.Conclusion:2-DE is a good method in protein analysis of ephemeroptera allergen extract, and it is useful in seeking main allergens and further research for allergic components.

Molecular cloning and expression of the vitellogenin gene and its correlation with ovarian development in an invasive pest Octodonta nipae on two host plants.

There is an ongoing relationship between host plants and herbivores. The nutrient substances and secondary compounds found in the host plant can not only impact the growth and development process of herbivores, but, more importantly, may also affect their survival and reproductive fitness. Vitellogenesis is the core process of reproductive regulation and is generally considered as a reliable indicator for evaluating the degree of ovarian development in females. Vitellogenin (Vg) plays a critical role in the synthesis and secretion of yolk protein. In this study, the full-length cDNA of the Vg gene in an alien invasive species, the nipa palm hispid beetle Octodonta nipae Maulik (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) (OnVg) was cloned and, the effect of host plant on the OnVg expression level and ovarian development was investigated. The results revealed that the OnVg was highly and exclusively expressed in adult females, but barely detectable in larvae, pupae and adult males. The relative expression level of OnVg and egg hatchability were much higher in females fed on Phoenix canariensis (their preferred host) than those fed on Phoenix roebelenii. A positive correlation relationship between OnVg expression and egg hatchability was also detected. Additionally, the anatomy of the female reproductive system showed that the ovaries of individuals fed on P. canariensis were considerably more developed than in females fed on P. roebelenii. The results may be applicable to many pest management situations through reproductive disturbance by alternating host plant species or varieties or by reproductive regulation through vitellogenesis mediated by specific endocrine hormones.

Influence of Some Pregerminaton Treatments on Seed Germination and Seedling Quality of Two Ornamental Palm Species Common in Egypt II- Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii O`Brien)

This investigation was undertaken under the shade at the Nursery of Antoniades Botanical Garden, Hort. Res. Inst., Alexandria, Egypt during 2014 and 2015 seasons to study the effect of the following pregermination treatments: untreated intact fruits (as control), depulped seeds (Pyrenes) without any treatment, soaking the depulped seeds in tap water for either 24 or 48 hours, soaking the depulped seeds in hot water (60-70 °C) for 24 hours or soaking them in diluted sulphuric acid (50 %) for either 6 or 12 hours on germination characters of Pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii O`Brien) seeds and growth and quality of the resulted seedlings.The obtained results indicated that soaking the depulped seeds in tap water for 24 h. treatment gave the highest percentage of germination in the two seasons and followed in the first season by soaking in hot water for 24 h treatment, but in the second one by the untreated depulped seeds. The depulped seeds soaked in diluted H2SO4 (50 %) for 6 h. failed to germinate in both seasons, while those soaked in such acid for 12 h. gave 10 % germination only in the first season. The least number of days passed to either the highest percent of germination (G.V.) or 50 % germination (MGR) in the two seasons was also recorded by soaking in tap water for 24 h. treatment. The germination rate index (GRI) was significantly increased over control by depulping and soaking in tap water for 48 h. treatments, but slightly decreased by soaking in tap water for 24 h. and significantly by soaking in hot water for 24 h. treatments compared to control in the two seasons. Most of the used treatments improved the means of vigour index (V.I.), seed viability (S.V.), plumule length, vegetative and root growth parameters of the produced seedling, as well as their leaf content of pigments and total soluble sugars with various significant differences relative to control means in most cases of both seasons. However, the mastership was recorded for treatment of soaking in tap water for 24 h., which gave the utmost highest values in most of the previous measurements in the two seasons.So, it can be recommended to soak the depulped seeds (Pyrenes) of Pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii O`Brien) in tap water for 24 h. to achive the highest and fastest germination along with the best quality of the seedlings.

First Report ofRaoiella indica(Acari: Tenuipalpidae) in Southeastern Brazil

Summary The red palm mite, Raoiella indica Hirst (Acari: Tenuipalpidae), was found for the first time in the urban area of Dracena, state of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil, in May 2015, on Cocos nucifera L., Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien, and Rhapis excelsa (Thunb.) A. Henry (Arecales: Arecaceae). Raoiella indica was first reported in Brazil in the state of Roraima, in 2009, and subsequently found in Manaus, Amazonas State, in 2011. Discovery of R. indica in Dracena, about 2,300 km southeast of Manaus, represents a major range expansion, suggesting that its arrival in northeastern Brazil is imminent, where hosts and climate conditions are favorable to its development. Coconut is an important crop in this region of Brazil and may incur major loss.

Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien DNA profiling, bioactive constituents, antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities

ObjectiveTo authenticate Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien, and investigate its leaves and fruits phytoconstituents, antioxidant, hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotective activities. MethodsDNA profiling was carried out by random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR). Total phenolic contents were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu method. Chromatographic and spectral techniques were used for the phytochemical investigation. Petroleum ether extracts were investigated using GC-MS. Antioxidant activity was assayed by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method. Hepatotoxicity and hepatoprotective assessments were achieved by neutral red assay. ResultsTotal phenolic contents of leaves and fruits were estimated as being 64.3 and 7.88 μg gallic acid equivalent/mg, respectively. Ten compounds were isolated for the first time from the aqueous methanol extract of leaves: apigenin 6, 8-di-C-β-glucopyranoside, quercetin 3-O-glucopyranoside, luteolin 3′-O-β-glucopyranoside, quercetin, apigenin, luteolin, baicalein and p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic and caffeic acids. Major lipophilic constituents of petroleum ether leaves extracts are ricinoleic acid (51.12%) and phytol (10.64%), while those of fruits are linolelaidic acid (33.61%) and n-octadecanol (9.04%). Aqueous methanol and petroleum ether extracts of leaves and fruits exhibited antioxidant activity at IC50 (60.25 and 51.70 μg/mL) and (6.3 and 21.0 μg/mL), respectively. The extracts hepatotoxicity is at IC50 > 1 000 μg/ml. Leaves and fruits petroleum ether extracts exhibited prominent heptoprotective activity > 12.5 and 15 μg/mL, respectively. ConclusionsThe palm may be a new potential source as a natural hepatoprotective to be applied in pharmaceutical industries.

Phoenix roebelenii: Pygmy Date Palm

The pygmy date palm is one of the most popular small landscape palms in Florida. It is single-stemmed, but is often grown in clumps of 2–4 closely spaced individuals which, when older, give the impression of a multi-stemmed palm. This revised 4-page fact sheet was written by Timothy K. Broschat and published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, August 2014.
 ENH-600/ST441: Phoenix roebelenii: Pygmy Date Palm (ufl.edu)

Study on life parameters of the invasive species Octodonta nipae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on different palm species, under laboratory conditions.

In southeastern China, the invasion of the nipa palm hispid Octodonta nipae (Maulik) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) results in devastating damage to palms. Host plants play an important role in the population increases and outbreaks of O. nipae. O. nipae could not complete its development on the Majestic palm (Ravenea rivularis Jumelle & Perrier), and females did not lay eggs on Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis R. Brown). However, this insect species both completed development and laid eggs on Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei (Hooker) H. Wendland), Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis Chabaud), and pygmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii O' Brien). The demographic characteristics of O. nipae reared on Chinese windmill palm, Canary Island date palm, and pygmy date palm were compared with an age-stage, two-sex life table. In this study, the developmental periods from egg to adult varied from 42.1 d on Chinese windmill palm to 49.8 d on pygmy date palm. The survivorship from egg to adult on Chinese windmill palm, Canary Island date palm, and pygmy date palm was 77.5, 79.4, and 66.7%, respectively. Although the adult longevity and the mean fecundity for individuals reared on Chinese windmill palm, Canary Island date palm, and pygmy date palm were not significantly different, there were significant differences in the intrinsic rate of increase, the finite rate, and the mean generation time among palm species, and the values of intrinsic rate of increase and finite rate were higher for populations reared on Chinese windmill palm and Canary Island date palm (0.0313 and 1.0318 d(-1) and 0.0278 and 1.0282 d(-1), respectively) and lower for populations reared on pygmy date palm (0.0192 and 1.0194 d(-1)). However, mean generation time was shorter on Chinese windmill palm (124.11 d) and Canary Island date palm (129.62 d) and longer on pygmy date palm (166.03 d). Our study indicated that different hosts affected life parameters of O. nipae, with the most preferred hosts being the Chinese windmill palm and Canary Island date palm. These results may be useful for the design of culture management strategies for O. nipae.

First Report of Stigmina palmivora Causing Leaf Spots on Phoenix roebelenii in Brazil.

Phoenix roebelenii (Arecaceae), known as dwarf date (tamareira-anã in Brazil), is a palm native to Southeast Asia and widely cultivated worldwide because of its ornamental value and ease of adaptation to a broad range of climates and soil types (4). In June 2012, some individuals were observed in a private garden in the municipality of Viçosa (state of Minas Gerais, Brazil) bearing numerous necrotic lesions on its leaves. Representative samples were taken, dried in a plant press, and brought to the laboratory for examination. A fungus was regularly associated with the leaf spots. Fungal structures were mounted in lactophenol and slides were examined under a microscope (Olympus BX 51). Spores were taken from sporulating colonies with a sterile fine needle and plated on PDA for isolation. A pure culture was deposited in the culture collection of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (accession COAD1338). A dried herbarium sample was deposited in the local herbarium (VIC39741). The fungus had the following morphology: conidiophores grouped on sporodochia, cylindrical, 12 to 29 × 5 to 6 μm, dark brown; conidiogenous cells, terminal, proliferating percurrently (annellidic), 8 to 20 × 5 to 6 μm, pale to dark brown; conidia obclavate to subcylindrical, straight, 58 to 147 × 5 to 6 μm, 6 to 16 septate, hila thickened and darkened with a thin-walled projecting papilla, dark brown, and verrucose. The morphology of the Brazilian collections agrees well with the description of Stigmina palmivora (2), a species known to cause leaf spots on P. roebelenii in the United States (Florida) and Japan (3). Pathogenicity was demonstrated through inoculation of leaves of healthy plants by placing 6 mm diameter cuture disks of COAD1338 on the leaf surface followed by incubation in a moist chamber for 48 h and then transferred to a greenhouse bench at 21 ± 3°C. Typical leaf spots were observed 15 days after inoculation. DNA was extracted from the isolate growing in pure culture and ITS and LSU sequences were generated and deposited in GenBank under the accession numbers KF656785 and KF656786, respectively. These were compared by BLASTn with other entries in GenBank, and the closest match for each region were Mycosphaerella colombiensis strain X215 and M. irregulariamosa strain CPC 1362 (EU514231, GU2114441) with 93% of nucleotide homology (over 100% query coverage) for ITS and 98% of nucleotide homology (over 100% query coverage) for LSU. There are no sequences for S. palmivora deposited in public databases for comparison, but for Stigmina platani, the type species in this genus, 86% and 96% nucleotide homology for ITS and LSU with S. palmivora were found. The genus Stigmina is regarded as being polyphyletic (1) and this is probably reflected by these low homology levels found in the BLASTn search. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Stigmina palmivora in Brazil.

Suitability of four palm species for the development of the invasive pest Brontispa longissima (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the field

AbstractThe coconut hispine beetle Brontispa longissima (Gestro) supposedly originated in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. It is a serious invasive pest of the coconut palm Cocos nucifera L. in Southeast and East Asia. In Japan, it has established itself using Satakentia liukiuensis (Hatushima) H.E. Moore as a main host on Ishigaki and Iriomote Islands where C. nucifera is rare. To assess the probability of further establishment of B. longissima in novel habitats where C. nucifera and S. liukiuensis are not available, we examined the suitability of four common palm species in Japan for oviposition and immature development of B. longissima: Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Bory) H. Wendl., Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien, S. liukiuensis and Washingtonia filifera (Linden ex André) H. Wendl. When seedlings of the four palm species were placed in pots in an experimental field on Ishigaki Island, all four species were inhabited and infested by wild B. longissima adults. Oviposition and immature development were observed on P. roebelenii and S. liukiuensis but not on C. lutescens and W. filifera. When field‐collected adults were released into mesh bags enclosing the potted seedlings, they oviposited on all four species. The eggs developed into adults on P. roebelenii, S. liukiuensis and W. filifera. On C. lutescens, however, hatched larvae died during the first or second instar.

Hydrothermal Treatment of Date Palm Lignocellulose Residue for Organic Fertilizer Conversion: Effect on Cell Wall and Aerobic Degradation Rate

Date palm (Phoenix roebelenii) woodchips, a residue of palm tree plantations, was subjected to hydrothermal treatment (HTT) at mild reaction conditions (160°C < T < 220°C, 0.6 MPa < P < 2.4 MPa) for 30 min, and the effect of treatments on the cell wall (CW) solubilization and subsequent aerobic degradation rate (as CO production) was tested under controlled composting conditions during 63 days of incubation (38°C). The HTT at 160 and 180°C reaction temperatures notably solubilized hemicellulose, decreasing the fraction of this CW polymer from 34.1% in the untreated material, to 9.5 and 4.6% in the respective residues. However, treatment at 200 and 220°C reaction temperatures rapidly liquefied the lignin, which apparently went into solution with hemicellulose and appeared to stabilize a portion of this polysaccharides against hydrolysis. Consequently, the fraction of hemicellulose in 200 and 220°C – treated residues gradually increased; the respective values were 5.8 and 9.4%. The treatment temperature of 180°C was the most effective HTT temperature for subsequent aerobic degradation by solubilizing the largest portion of hemicellulose within the CW, which had two consequences: 1) it supplied additional readily bioavailable form of carbon, which in turn promoted rapid microbial activities in the early stage of decomposition; and 2) it created pores and cavities within the CW, which permitted rapid bacterial penetration and CW degradation. As a consequence, biodegradation of the residue treated under this reaction temperature proceeded rapidly and stability was reached within 21 days, compared to 63 days of continued degradation for the untreated CW. The enhanced biodegradability was also partially linked to the effect of 180°C treatment temperature on solubilization of amorphous cellulose and partial hydrolysis of lignin. Based on the results, the HTT system can successfully be used as a pretreatment step to accelerate the aerobic digestion rate of date palm residues for the production of organic fertilizers.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exploring the host range of the red palm mite (&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Raoiella indica&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;) in Kerala, India*&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Current published records indicate that the red palm mite (RPM), Raoiella indica Hirst, has a much broader host range in the New World than in the Old World. Therefore, a series of studies were carried out in Kerala, India in 2009 and 2010 to elucidate the presence or absence of R. indica colonies on hosts in addition to coconut Cocos nucifera L., and betel-nut palm, Areca catechu L., the only previously reported host plants in India. We evaluated the following: RPM numbers on coconut and Musa spp. grown in Kerala; the presence of RPM on coconut and bananas grown as a mixed crop; and the possible presence of RPM on palms and other selected plant species mostly grown as ornamentals or reported to be hosts of the RPM in the NewWorld. Results showed that RPM was found in extremely low numbers on Musa spp., never clearly colonizing those plants. The pygmy date palm, Phoenix roebelenii O´Brien, was found to be an additional breeding host in Kerala, as multi-generational colonies were found on a plant of this species. Possible reasons for observed differences in RPM host ranges between the Old World and the New World are discussed.

First Report of a 16SrIV-D Phytoplasma Associated with Texas Phoenix Palm Decline on Pigmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii) in Florida.

The pigmy date palm (Phoenix roebelenii O'Brien) is used as an ornamental in Florida and is popular and lucrative within the nursery trade. Severe decline of several pigmy date palms was observed at a residence in Hillsborough County, FL. Several other palm species, including P. canariensis (Canary Island date palm), P. sylvestris (wild date palm), P. dactylifera (date palm), Syagrus romanzoffiana (queen palm), and Sabal palmetto (cabbage palm), in Florida are known to be affected by Texas Phoenix palm decline (TPPD), a disease associated with a phytoplasma subgroup strain 16SrIV-D (2,3). Moreover, the location of the affected pigmy date palms was in the proximity of many other diseased cabbage palms that were identified in previous surveys and subsequently rogued. Genomic DNA was extracted from 100 mg of ground-up palm trunk tissues containing phloem cells with a DNeasy Plant Mini kit column (QIAGEN Inc., Valencia, CA) from four specimens. A high-fidelity PCR (Hf-PCR) procedure was used in preference to standard PCR because it was 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive (1,4). The Hf-PCR (50 μl) utilized two DNA polymerases; Taq (five units) and ACCUZYME (one unit), 350 μM dNTP, a buffer (50 mM Tris pH 9.2, 16 mM ammonium sulfate, and 1.75 mM magnesium chloride), a higher concentration of primers (200 pM) (2,3), and palm DNA templates (>10 ng) or no DNA negative control. Hf-PCR was performed using three linked profiles: (i) 94°C (2 min) (1 cycle); (ii) 94°C (10 s), 50°C (30 s) for P1m/P7 or 57°C for LY16Sf/LY16Sr and 68°C (2 min) (10 cycles); and (iii) 94°C (10 s), 50°C (30 s) for P1m/P7 or 57°C for LY16Sf/LY16Sr and 68°C (2 min plus 20 s added for every consecutive cycle) (20 cycles) (1). The genomic DNA extracted from P. roebelenii specimens was used as template for amplification by Hf-PCR. Expected 1.8- and 1.4-kb DNA bands for each primer combination were readily amplified. The Hf-PCR products were sequenced (GenBank Accession No. JF791816) and a BLAST search revealed a 100% similarity with a phytoplasma subgroup strain 16SrIV-D (EF042899 and AF434989), which is known to cause severe palm decline (TPPD) in other hosts (2,3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of TPPD from P. roebelenii, and therefore, expands the host range of this pathogen. In areas where TPPD is present, the landscape industry may need to identify alternative nonhost palm species or resistant varieties for disease management.