Braham Dhillon

0000-0002-5282-1949

Graphiola Leaf Spot (False Smut) of Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

Graphiola leaf spot, also referred to as "false smut," is a foliar pathogen of certain palm species. In Florida, it is primarily a cosmetic disease and does not adversely affect plant growth. Nutrient deficiencies, such as potassium or magnesium deficiency, are much more serious palm health problems than this disease, especially for Phoenix species.

Pestalotiopsis (Pestalotia) Diseases of Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

Calonectria (Cylindrocladium) Leaf Spot of Palm

Jiaming Yu andMonica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

Petiole (Rachis) Blight of Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

Fusarium Wilt of Canary Island Date Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

Fusarium Wilt of Queen Palm and Mexican Fan Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

This document is PP278, one of a series of the Plant Pathology Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date June 2010. Revised August 2013 and January 2017.

Bud Rot of Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

Leaf Spots and Leaf Blights of Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

This fact sheet is limited to those diseases where the pathogens only infect (invade) and cause spots and blights of the leaf blade. Other diseases may cause death of leaflets and leaf segments but are actually the result of a pathogen infecting the leaf petiole or rachis.

Ganoderma Butt Rot of Palms

Monica L. Elliott, Timothy Broschat, andTimothy K. Broschat
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

This document is about Ganoderma butt rot, a lethal disease affecting all palm species, caused by the fungus Ganoderma zonatum. It describes the symptoms, diagnosis, and life cycle of the pathogen, emphasizing the lack of effective treatments or preventive measures. First publication Date: November 2000.

Thielaviopsis Trunk Rot of Palm

Monica L. Elliott
other_contacts: Braham Dhillon

Thielaviopsis paradoxa is a fungus that can infect any part of a palm and so can cause numerous diseases. In Florida, the two most frequent (and usually lethal) Thielaviopsis diseases observed in the landscape and field nursery are a bud (heart) rot and trunk rot.

Sample Collection for Ganoderma Butt Rot of Palms

Braham Dhillon and Seemanti Chakrabarti

Palms are an integral part of the urban landscape in Florida. Ganoderma butt rot of palms, a disease caused by the wood-decaying white-rot fungus Ganoderma zonatum, is one of the major biotic concerns for the landscape industry. The lethal disease is prevalent across palm-growing regions in the US, and all palm species are believed to be susceptible to this fungus. It may take six months to a year for the diseased palm to die once the initial symptoms appear. But with the availability of a disease diagnostic assay, this fungal pathogen can be detected using saw dust samples collected from declining palms, several months before symptoms appear. Collect good quality samples by following these steps and understanding the caveats associated with each step.

Lesion Mimics in Mule Palm (× Butyagrus nabonnandii)

Braham Dhillon, Lucas Altarugio, Seemanti Chakrabarti, and Kamaldeep Bansal

Palms (Arecaceae) are flowering plants with varied growth forms ranging from climbers to tree-like plants found across diverse habitats. Some palm species naturally hybridize with other species, whereas a few species can be artificially hybridized to produce new morphotypes. Mule palm (× Butyagrus nabonnandii) is an artificial hybrid that is becoming popular as a landscape ornamental because of its appearance and cold hardiness. However, hybridization among different species could lead to unintended outcomes, including lesion mimics. A lesion mimic phenotype was identified in mule palms growing across multiple farms across central and south Florida. As leaf spots are one of the most common symptoms observed during disease or nutritional deficiency, the detection of lesion mimics can sometimes be challenging. This publication documents a simple method to identify lesion mimics in palms. Correct diagnosis of lesion mimics would limit unnecessary applications of fungicides or fertilizers.

Recolección de muestras de pudrición basal de las palmas causada por Ganoderma

Braham Dhillon y Seemanti Chakrabarti

Las palmeras son una parte integral del paisaje urbano de Florida. La pudrición de las palmas por Ganoderma, una enfermedad causada por el hongo Ganoderma zonatum, que descompone la madera, es una de las principales preocupaciones bióticas para la industria del paisajismo. La enfermedad letal prevalece en las regiones de cultivo de palmeras en los EE. UU., y se cree que todas las especies de palmeras son susceptibles a este hongo. La palma enferma puede tardar entre seis meses y un año en morir una vez que aparecen los síntomas iniciales. Pero con la disponibilidad de un ensayo de diagnóstico de enfermedades, este patógeno fúngico se puede detectar utilizando muestras de aserrín recogidas de palmas en declive, varios meses antes de que aparezcan los síntomas. Aquí se indican los pasos a seguir.