Palm Pilots
Philippe Visintainer is on a mission to protect Maui’s coconut palms from a fungus that causes a deadly disease. “A win-win situation.”
By Amy Huyett, Maui Weekly, July 11-24 2002
Swaying coconut palm trees are a trademark of the Hawaiian Islands. They line the white sand beaches, shade golf courses and help beautify resorts and condominiums. They can be used as a valuable food source and for building materials. But these important trees have been in danger of being wiped out by a deadly fungus, and Philippe Visintainer, founder of Hawaii Coconut Protectors, is doing his best to save them.
The disease, known as Coconut Heart Rot disease, is caused by the fungus Phytophthora katsurae that was first detected in the 1970s on Kauai. It enters the palm from the crown and then slowly works its way into the heart of the palm, browning leaves and causing them to fall off. Eventually the top falls off and only the skinny pole-like trunk remains. Because the fungus is airborne and needs moisture to survive, Hawaii has the perfect climate for it to spread by strong windblown rains. It can also spread by insects, rodents, pruning and planting infected trees.
There is no cure for this disease which has already killed about 15 percent of Hawaii coconut trees over the years, but Visintainer has found a way to protect this symbol of the tropics. By using a backpack injection system of a natural fertilizer, Visintainer said he has seen about a 90 percent success rate over the past two and a half years.
“I drill a small hole into the trunk of the tree about chest high. Inject the product into the trunk Then I plug the hole with a green plug to seal the product and to mark the tree,” he said. “It takes about two to four weeks for the product to travel to the heart of the tree, where it boosts the immune system of the tree, creating an environment that prevents the fungus from growing.”
