Experts Battling to Save Coconut Palms in Hawaii pg.6
The injection formula has been successful, according to Visintainer. He has been working with hotels, resorts, condos and private owners in Hawaii. Visintainer is also trying to get Maui County to take action against the pathogen. His company developed a formula based on phosphoric acid.
Visintainer refers to it as the nutrient augmentation approach. The injection promotes the general health of a coconut palm and fertilizes it. At the same time, it creates an environment in the heart of the palm that repels the pathogen.
“We inject at about chest high, and the formula is systemic, so the palm will carry the formula to the top of the leaves and back down into the heart of the palm in about two to four weeks, depending on the plant,” Visintainer explains. “We’ve achieved a 95 percent success rate with healthy palms. We’re not certain how the pathogen spreads, whether it’s by way of rodents, trimming, or insects. It appears that wind-driven rain is a major factor. We theorize that it moves around with the wind and rain, and gets into the crown, and works its way into the heart of the palm.”
Visintainer usually saves five to 15 percent of infected palms. Usually, by the time people realize they have a problem and he examines the specimen, there’s nothing Visintainer can do.
Visintainer speculates that the pathogen arrived in Hawaii when travelers brought plants and materials here. At this point, the pathogen is unique only to coconut palms in Hawaii. It started on the windward side of the islands, but has spread to the leeward side. Visintainer has identified infestations at golf courses. He reasoned that maintenance crews provide volumes of water to keep courses green, so coconut palms receive volumes of water too.
“Watering encourages the spread of the pathogen, because it thrives on moisture,” Visintainer says. “In Hawaii, we have high levels of moisture and humidity.
