File:Vanilla culture in Puerto Rico (1948) (20381902490).jpg

Title: Vanilla culture in Puerto Rico
Identifier: CAT31289489 (find matches)
Year: 1948 (1940s)
Authors: Childers, Norman Franklin, 1910-
Subjects: Vanilla; Orchids
Publisher: Washington, D. C. : U. S. Dept. of Agriculture
Contributing Library: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library
Digitizing Sponsor: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library

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VANILLA CULTURE IN PUERTO RICO 59 water are depleted. Eventually the plant is a drooping, light brown, completely dried specimen (fig. 48). The symptoms usually do not appear before fruit production, which indicates that fruiting may weaken the plant and aggravate the disease. It is recognized by vanilla growers that careful continuous attention and the use of the best cultural practices for vanilla result in definitely less trouble from the root rot disease. Observations at this station and in the commercial vanilleries indicate that the plants seem to be- come less capable of resisting the disease when weakened by drought conditions, by lack of important nutrients, too much sun, and/or over-
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FiGURE 46.—Many growers claim that chickens are their worst pest in vanilla. They tear apart and expose the delicate roots to drying. A fence around the vanillery is the best protection against them. pollination, and fruit production. Undoubtedly, much of the root rot of vanilla which appeared during World War II was due to over- pollination by the growers to take advantage of good prices. It is interesting to note, however, that when prices are high some growers are of the opinion that it is possible to obtain profitable returns from vanilla in spite of a 20- to 30-percent root rot infection. To control the disease the plants should be kept in a vigorous con- dition by maintenance of adequate shade and a heavy mulch especially at the beginning and during the dry season, by performing moderate to light pollination, and, where possible, by providing irrigation during extended dry periods.

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