Leaf blight — Coconut

Symptoms

The disease affects seedlings as well as adult coconut palms. In adult palms, the lower three to four leaf whorls are commonly affected first. The leaflet tips begin to dry, and the drying progresses downwards towards the leaflet bases. Affected leaflets develop a charred, burnt or scorched appearance. Leaf tissue progressively dries and loses its normal green colour. On affected nuts, dark grey to brown lesions appear, commonly beginning near the nut apex. The nut lesions have irregular, wavy or undulating margins. The infection may penetrate through the outer fruit tissues and mesocarp towards the kernel. The internal kernel tissues, including the endosperm, may decay. Affected nuts may become desiccated, shrivelled, shrunken or deformed. Infected nuts may drop prematurely, contributing to yield loss.