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Genetic diversity among coconut varieties for susceptibility to Cape St Paul Wilt Disease

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Abstract

The CSPWD is the Ghanaian form of lethal yellowing disease (LYD) of coconut, caused by a phytoplasma and has been active in Ghana since 1932. The paper updates the results of screening trials conducted with 38 pure and hybrid coconut varieties since 1981. Although no variety was found totally resistant, a wide range of susceptibility level was observed: almost all SGD were still unaffected, while the local WAT had almost totally disappeared, additive values were calculated for the parental varieties and it was shown that, in the average, hybrids are slightly more susceptible than predicted by a purely additive model. According to this genetic model, the SGD × VTT hybrid will be appreciably less susceptible than the MYD × VTT currently being used for replanting devastated farms in Ghana. Our results tend to confirm the general trend that cultivars from the Pacific group (especially the Dwarfs) are less susceptible than the Indo-Atlantic cultivars. Proposals are made to adapt planting material to the risk level. Genetic control can only be efficient if it is considered as a link in a chain of control measures involving the choice of a proper planting site, good management and early eradication of diseased trees.

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Abbreviations

ADOT:

Andaman Tall

CATD:

Catigan Green Dwarf

CRD:

Cameroon Red Dwarf

EGD:

Equatorial Guinean Green Dwarf (synonym to the Brazilian Green Dwarf)

LCT:

Laccadive Tall

MRD:

Malayan Red Dwarf

MYD:

Malayan Yellow Dwarf

MLT:

Malayan Tall

PNT:

Panama Tall

RIT:

Rennell Island Tall

SGD:

Sri Lanka Green Dwarf

TACD:

Tacunan Green Dwarf

TAGT:

Tagnanan Tall

TAT:

Tahiti Tall (synonym to the Polynesian Tall)

VTT:

Vanuatu Tall

WAT:

West African Tall

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Acknowledgements

The resistance screening programme has been funded at different times by French Embassy Project with Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana, The E.U under its STD 3 project, the World Bank under the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) and Agricultural Services Sub Sector Investment Project (AGSSIP), the Agence Française de Développement and the Government of Ghana. The Support is gratefully acknowledged. In addition, we wish to acknowledge the great collaboration of Yane Kandassamy and Sandrine Fabre, technicians, for their work done in the laboratory of the Research Unit 29 of Cirad at Montpellier (France) and Dr. Laurence Rassaby who worked with the CIRAD-OPRI team in Montpellier and Takoradi between April 2003 and March 2004.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. OPRI, P.O. Box 245, Sekondi, Ghana

    S. K. Dery, R. N. Quaicoe, J. Nkansah-Poku, J. Owusu-Nipah, D. Dare & N. Yankey

  2. CIRAD, Campus Int. de Baillarguet, TA80/A, 34398, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    R. Philippe, L. Baudouin & M. Dollet

  3. CSDP, P.O. Box 245, Sekondi, Ghana

    R. Arthur

Authors
  1. S. K. Dery
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  2. R. Philippe
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  3. L. Baudouin
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  4. R. N. Quaicoe
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  5. J. Nkansah-Poku
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  6. J. Owusu-Nipah
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  7. R. Arthur
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  8. D. Dare
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  9. N. Yankey
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  10. M. Dollet
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Correspondence to R. Philippe.

Appendix: Results of the Cape Three Points trials (after Mariau et al. 1996)

Appendix: Results of the Cape Three Points trials (after Mariau et al. 1996)

Variety

Cape Three Points

Dixcove

Total no. of palms

No. of diseased palma

Level of disease (%)

Total no. of palms

No. of diseased palma

Level of disease (%)

CRD

18

14

77.8

4

2

50.0

CRD × MLT

11

5

45.5

7

6

85.7

CRD × TAT

–

–

–

9

8

88.9

CRD × RIT

–

–

–

6

6

100.0

CRD × VTT

–

–

–

9

8

88.9

CRD × WAT

18

14

77.8

7

7

100.0

EGD

10

6

60.0

9

3

33.3

EGD × VTT

–

–

–

9

8

88.9

EGD × WAT

9

9

100.0

–

–

–

MLT

–

–

–

6

6

100.0

MLT × MYD

–

–

–

10

4

40.0

MLT × VTT

–

–

–

7

5

71.4

MRD

13

4

30.8

6

4

66.7

MRD × TAT

20

16

80.0

7

3

42.9

MRD × WAT

20

14

70.0

7

7

100.0

MYD

7

1

14.3

4

0

0.0

MYD × TAT

–

–

–

5

4

80.0

MYD × RIT

–

–

–

5

5

100.0

MYD × VTT

–

–

–

4

3

75.0

MYD × WAT

16

13

81.3

10

9

90.0

TAT

–

–

–

8

6

75.0

RIT

–

–

–

3

3

100.0

RIT × WAT

29

24

82.8

9

9

100.0

SGD

19

0

0.0

6

0

0.0

SGD × WAT

–

–

–

6

5

83.3

VTT

–

–

–

5

0

0.0

WAT

19

19

100.0

6

6

100.0

  1. aDiseased or killed by CSPWD

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Dery, S.K., Philippe, R., Baudouin, L. et al. Genetic diversity among coconut varieties for susceptibility to Cape St Paul Wilt Disease. Euphytica 164, 1–11 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-008-9691-8

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