Betel nut fungus spreads to Mt. Tapochao

The killer fungus that that has devastated several thousand betel nut trees on eight Saipan villages has reached the island’s highest point, Mt. Tapochao.

Betel nut grower and former representative Cris Guerrero confirmed the attack on his plantation on Mt. Tapochao in an interview with Saipan Tribune yesterday.

He said he recently went up to check on his plantation, numbering some 60 betel nut trees, and was disheartened to find that most of his trees have shown symptoms of Phytophtora Meadii infestation or Bud Rot disease.

Mt. Tapochao now joins As Lito, As Mahetog, Capitol Hill, Donne, Kagman, Papago, Tanapag and, more recently, San Vicente as areas that are badly affected by the disease.

One farmer, who asked not to be identified, questions the continuing delay in the importation of fungicides that would fight off the infestation. He said trees die everyday and if the delay in the permit continues, the entire betel nut industry on Saipan would be wiped out.

Once a tree is infected, it only takes at least six to 14 days for the disease to infect the entire plant, according to Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension Education and Service agriculture consultant Isidoro Cabrera.

Cabrera said there is no update on the application for a permit to use the chemicals Kocide 4.5L, Fosphite and Agri FOS. He said the Division of Environmental Quality has not received the go-signal from the Environmental Protection Agency in California to use the chemicals. He, however, said NMC-CREES chair Anthony Benavente is on top of the processing of the request.

Cabrera also said that last Tuesday he hand-delivered a letter of request from NMC president Antonio Deleon Guerrero to Marianas Public Land Authority commissioner Edward DL. Guerrero regarding the transfer of $10,000 to NMC for the betel nut disease control project.

In the letter, NMC’s Guerrero said Gov. Juan N. Babauta has already approved the release of the money on March 2, which would come from the Managaha Island User Fee Trust Account, to facilitate the cost of controlling the spread of the disease.

He also said in the letter that the college has access now to the tree injection treatment and the diagnostic kit for quick detection of early infection.

“Once the money is available, NMC-CREES will start a CNMI-wide program of tree injection using Fosphite or agri FOS to protect the trees against infection.”

Cabrera said he would follow up with the MPLA about the release of the budget. He could not say as to when the money would be released.