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Anti-bud rot chemical arriving today
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Posted on Sep 03 2005
The fungicide that will be used to fight the fungus that is killing off Saipan’s betel nut trees will arrive today from Guam.
College–Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service agricultural consultant Isidoro Cabrera said that the chemical, Phosphite, was supposed to arrive yesterday but got delayed due to the bad weather.
He said the agency will demonstrate the use of the chemical to affected farmers and growers next week.
The tentative schedule of the workshop for the betel nut farmers would be on Sept. 13 to 14, said Cabrera. He said NMC-CREES would still need to procure some materials for the workshop.
Agricultural experts estimate that betel nut growers on Saipan have now lost an estimated $2.25 million to the bud rot disease, with 30 percent of about 100,000 betel nut trees on the island dying from it. He said that the government would also stand to lose 4 percent or $90,000 of its gross revenue from the farmers if the problem persists since there are over 100,000 betel nut trees on Saipan alone. Rota has 15,000 and Tinian about 10,000.
The disease is caused by the fungus Phyhophthora meadii.
