False Smut (Graphiola phoenicis) is an aesthetic fungal leaf disease of several palm species. Small black fruiting bodies erupt through the epidermis of older leaflets creating an unsightly appearance.
Treatment Strategy
Sanitation and water management are the basis for false smut management. Removal and destruction of severely infected leaf fronds would be suggested as a means of reducing inoculum. Increase air movement, reduce leaf wetness, and eliminate overhead irrigation. Fertilize to keep plants healthy.
Foliar Spray Using Talaris 4.5F
Foliar Spray Using CuPro 5000
Signs of Damage
- Initial symptoms of the disease are tiny (1/32 inch or less) yellow, brown, or black spots on both sides of the leaf blade
- The fungus will emerge from these spots, breaking through the leaf epidermis
- The fruiting structure, or sorus, is a black fruiting body that is less than 1/16 inch in diameter
- Yellow spores are produced, short, light-colored filaments will emerge from the black body
- These filaments aide in spore dispersal. Once the spores are dispersed, the black fruiting structures deflate and appear like a black, cup-shaped body or black crater
Photo: Fungus on leaf blades
Monica Elliott, University of Florida, Bugwood.org
Photo: False Smut Spores on palm leaf
Trees At Risk
The primary hosts in Florida are Phoenix species including:
- Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island date palm)
- Phoenix dactylifera (date palm)
False smut has also been observed on
- Acoelorrhaphe wrightii
- Arenga pinnata
- Butia odorata
- Chamaerops humilis
- Coccothrinax argentata
- Cocos nucifera
- Dypsis lutescens
- Livistona alfredii
- Livistona chinensis
- Phoenix roebelenii
- Phoenix sylvestris
- Phoenix theophrasti
- Prestoea acuminata
- Roystonea regia
- Sabal minor
- Sabal palmetto
- Syagrus romanzoffiana
- Thrinax morrisii
- Washingtonia robusta
Biology
- After the fungus infects leaf tissue, it has very limited growth within the leaf tissue, with most growth occurring just below the black fruiting body.
- It takes 10 to 11 months for new spores to be produced after initial infection. This is atypical of most leaf disease, which life cycles usually take days to weeks.
Reference
University of Florida
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp140
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