New Disease Reports (2003) 7, 12.

First report of Neck Bending disease on Date Palm in Qatar

E.H. Abbas and A.S. Abdulla

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Accepted: 17 Mar 2003

It is likely that with date palm, C. paradoxa is an opportunistic pathogen attacking stressed trees (in the case described here, the affected trees were growing on a busy roadside location). C. paradoxa, which also infects oil palm, sugar cane, coconut and pineapple, is a widespread fungus and its pathogenicity to date palm is well-documented especially in areas where drought and salinity are prevailing (Suleman et al., 2001a; Suleman et al., 2001b). The severity of the problem was probably further exacerbated by the secondary invasion by Physiphora demandata (Diptera). Infected trees were found to be infested with P. demandata larvae. This fly is known to favour decomposing organic matter (Saaidi, 1992) and would be attracted to the rotting tissues found on trees infected with C. paradoxa.

Neck bending in date palm has been previously observed in Iraq (Abbas et al., 1992). This is the first reported observation of neck bending disease on date palm in Qatar.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the University of Qatar, College of Sciences, (Agricultural Sciences Programme) for their kind assistance and providing the materials for isolation of the fungus during the study.


References

  1. Abbas IH, Al-Izi MJ, Aboud HM, Saleh HM, 1997. Neck bending: a new disease affecting date palm in Iraq (Abstract). In: Proceedings of the Sixth Arab Congress of Plant Protection Congress. Beirut, Lebanon: Arab Plant Protection Society.
  2. Saaidi M, 1992. A study of new date palm disorders in Iraq. Rome, Italy: Food and Agriculture Organization: FAO report TCP/IRQ/2255.
  3. Suleman P, Al-Musallam A, Menezes CA, 2001a. Incidence and severity of black scorch on date palms in Kuwait. Kuwait Journal of Science and Engineering 28, 161-170.
  4. Suleman P, Al-Musallam A, Menezes CA, 2001b. The effect of solute potential and water stress on black scorch caused by Chalara paradoxa and Chalara radiciola on date palms. Plant Disease 85, 80-83.

This report was formally published in Plant Pathology

©2003 The Authors