Over 2,000 betel nut trees die from disease

An estimated 2,000 to 2,500 betel nut trees have already died due to the spread of the bud rot disease, according to a Northern Marianas College Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Service consultant.

Agricultural consultant Isidoro T. Cabrera said yesterday that more trees are getting infected with the disease, caused by a fungus known as Phytophthora mead.

“There are more that are getting infected every day and every week, and those that are infected will eventually die,” Cabrera said, adding that there is urgent need to buy the fungicide that will prevent the fungus from spreading.

Cabrera said there are over 100,000 betel nut trees on Saipan. Rota has 15,000 and Tinian about 10,000.

Areas that are already infected with the disease include San Roque, Capitol Hill, Sadog Tasi, San Vicente, Dandan, Fina Sisu, As Lito, and newly on Gualo Rai.

“So far it continues to spread and I’m worried that when the rainy season comes, with high humidity and with windy conditions…the disease will eventually spread all over the place between July and August,” Cabrera said. “I am worried and I want to start the betel nut control project as soon as possible.”

Cabrera said the project will get underway as soon as the needed fungicide arrives on island.

He said a purchase order for $5,000 worth of fungicide is now being worked on. Another $3,000 will be used to purchase about 300 injectors, while $2,000 will be used for other necessary supplies and equipment.

Cabrera said the $10,000 identified for the control program was provided by the government; however, the order has yet to be made until the fund is transferred from the Department of Finance to NMC.

“The money has been approved; its just a matter of transferring it to the NMC account,” he said. “NMC will be the lead agency that will initiate the control program with the help of the Division of Agriculture of [Department of Lands and Natural Resources].

The fungicide is being ordered through a dealer on Guam, which orders the chemical from a manufacturer based in California.

“Once ordered, it will take about 30 to 45 days before it arrives,” Cabrera said. “Once it arrives, I will announce to the public that the betel nut control program will start.”

Cabrera said farmers will be charged a “minimal” amount for the fungicide “so we can continue with the program to make it sustainable.”

“If we need more, we can continue to order [with the money being paid],” Cabrera said.

The fungus produces microscopic spores that are easily blown and dispersed in the wind and rain. It is carried to other neighboring trees and infects them.

Symptoms of the fungal infection include lesions on the leaves, dead young leaves or deterioration of the green part of the plant at the base of the leaves. Once infected, a tree has no chance of survival. After a month-long incubation stage on the newly infected tree, symptoms of the disease will then appear and the tree will die in about another month.

Owners of infected trees are urged to cut the trees and burn them to prevent the disease from spreading.

Cabrera said the disease is the same that wiped out close to 10,000 betel nut trees at the Fina Sisu and As Lito area in the 1990s.

Infected betel nuts, however, would not harm humans who chew them.