File:Vanilla culture in Puerto Rico (1948) (20569890805).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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58 CIRCULAR NO. 2 8, FEDERAL EXPERIMENT STATION DISEASES Root rot.—The factor which has most limited vanilla production in Puerto Rico is a root rot disease. Reference to the disease was first made in Puerto Rico by H. E. Thomas (22) of this station. In 1922 McClelland recorded considerable damage to vanilla by apparently the same disease, which had become such a problem that experimental work with vanilla was temporarily abandoned at Mayaguez. McClelland reported to growers that vanilla should be considered only a tempo- rary crop because of this root rot disease. In 1922 C. M. Tucker, station pathologist, undertook a study of the causal organism, and in
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Figure 45.—Poison bait for slugs and snails is prepared by mixing corn meal with metaldeliyde, then calcium arsenate, and finally with ground grapefruit. The bait should be applied immediately in late afternoon, since slugs and snails work mostly at night. 1927 described it as Fusariwn batatatis var. vaniUae Tucker (23). In a survey made by the authors in 1945 the growers reported an aver- age of 40- to 50-percent infection of root rot, which is the chief reason why several growers recently abandoned their plantations. The disease is not confined solely to Puerto Rico, since the literature con- tains references to a similar root rot in other countries. In the early stage of the disease there is first a browning and death of the underground roots and later of the aerial roots. With de- struction of the roots, the plant ceases shoot growth and begins to send out numerous aerial roots, many of which die before or after coming in contact with the soil. The stems and leaves become flaccid, turn to a yellowsh green, and the stems begin to shrivel as their reserves and

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