Cyclone damage to eight species of palms at different growth stages
| MSI03P3923 | |
| Govinden, N. Wong Yen Cheong, K. d'Espagnac, L. | |
| Cyclone damage to eight species of palms at different growth stages | |
| Lalouette, J. A., Bachraz, D. Y., Bheenick, K. J.(eds), Proceedings Sixth Meeting of Agricultural Scientists, Boname Hall, MSIRI, Réduit, Mauritius, 8-9 May 2003. Réduit: Food and Agricultural Research Council. 340 p. | |
| book chapter | |
| 2004 | |
| p. 311-318 | |
| Also appeared in Revue agric. sucr. Ile Maurice 84(1-3): 80-88 (2005) | |
| En | |
| En | |
| Nine trials have been planted in three agro-climatic zones to evaluate the growth and palm cabbage yield of eight species of palms. In January 2002, following cyclone Dina, the damage was rated on three-year old plants at three sites, on two-year old ones at three sites and on one-year old ones at two sites. Three forms of adverse effects of cyclone - leaf damage, root lodging and stem breakage - were rated, each on a five-point scale. Two species of local palms - Dictyosperma album var conjugatum (palmiste blanc de l'Ile Ronde) and Acanthophoenix rubra (palmiste piquant) did not show leaf damage. Four species - Cocos nucifera (coconut), D album var album (palmiste blanc de Maurice), Roystonea oleracea (royal palm) and Euterpe oleracea (açai) showed minimal damage to mild leaf tearing. In the last two species, Bactris gasipaes (pejibaye) and Veitchia montgomeryana (palmier de pâques), the damage to the leaves was severe and consisted of tearing of leaflets and some twisting of petioles, but no leaf breakage was observed. Root lodging (verse) was not observed on four species: the two palmistes blancs, palmiste piquant and açai. In the last two species, this was possibly because the plants were still very small. In pejibaye, root lodging varied from minimal at some sites to severe at others, and the extent of lodging was not related to the stage of development. The last three species - coconut, royal palm and palmier de pâques - lodged severely at several sites. In the case of coconut, this may have been due to shallow planting. Stem breakage was not observed on five species. A few broken stems were seen in palmier de pâques at one site and in royal palm at two sites. Only in pejibaye, the fastest-growing species, were there many broken stems, up to 30 percent at two sites. The damage was more severe at these sites probably because the plants were tallest and more exposed. At one site, some of the broken stems had in fact reached the harvest stage. This species may need the protection of windbreaks. At all sites, all species recuperated within three months. | |
| Palms Cyclones palm cabbage leaf tearing root lodging stem breakage Dictyosperma album var conjugatum Acanthophoenix rubra Roystonea oleracea Euterpe oleracea Bactris gasipaes pejibaye Veitchia montgomeryana | |
| Mauritius | |
| Palms | |
| cyclones | |
| 2003-05-09 | |
| En | |
| MSIRI | |
| LIB | |
| cat | |
| FC |