#plantpathogens

Did you know that there has been an insane shortage of coconuts in the caribbean these past 10 years? Having one these days have become such a treat. Struggling to keep my last living tree (out of over 200) alive. Lethal yellowing is a devastating disease that affects palms including coconuts. It is caused by a phytoplasma, specialized bacteria that are transmitted between plants by insect vectors. This disease gets its name from the yellowing and drooping of palm fronds beginning with the lower fronds and advancing up through the crown. The most practical long term solution to controlling lethal yellowing is by replacing with resistant cultivars. So keep an eye on trees that aren’t being infected to propagate future plants from. Chemical control can also be achieved by the application of the antibiotic oxytetracycline HCl (often referred to as OTC) administered to palms by liquid injection into the trunk. #growninhaiti #yellowing #coconut #disease #plantpathogens #haiti #ayiti #tropicalamerica #infectious #control #propagation #palm https://www.instagram.com/p/CltCO0LuNr8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A normal individual and a crested or fasciated individual- I believe these babes to be Sempervivum. In crested plants, a mutation occurs in the meristematic tissue where cells actively divide and differentiate to produce new growth. Instead of forming the typical dome shape, the mutated meristem flattens and grows along a plane. Cresting has been experimentally induced using X-ray or chemical mutagens, but in nature is associated with pathogens. Most commonly, phytoplasmas cause cresting in the wild. These obligate bacterial parasites of also cause other abnormal growth patterns like phyllody, (the production of leaf-like structures in place of flowers) and virescence (the development of green flowers due to pigment loss). #Crassulaceae #Sempervivum #NAU #greenhouse #horticulture #houseplants #botany #botanize #plants #naturephotography #nature #flowers #succulent #succulentplants #plantpathology #plantpathogens (at Northern Arizona University)