The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-11-22
PINEAPPLE BLIGHT.
Thought it May be Due to TsnGle
Root.


Director Jared G. Smith of the En-
detrimental station has received d letter
from H. j. Weber in charge of the
Plant Breeding Laboratory at Washing
ton in regard to the pineapple blight
which has appeared in Hawaii. IL
letter is in response to inquiries SOFT
from here accompanied by specimens
of pineapples from Pearl ('iiv affected
by the blight. Mr. Weber says:
Mr.. Woods has handed me some di-
seased pineapples which you sent in for
examination The trouble in this case
seems to be due to the malady which
we have termed "tangle-rOot," figure
of which was given in a paper of mine
in the Year Book for 1895. This condi-
ton of the pineapple, where the roots
are DETECTED by the subtending leaves
and grew around the stock instead of
into the soil, is an accompaniment OF
pineapple blight and seems to be a
symptom of that disease.
1T is in many cases without question
due to improper preparation of the slips
in planting. and judging from the plant
YOU sent. it is the case in this instance.
The specimens are of the Smooth Cay
enne variety. | notice, on careful eX-
animation of the bases of the plants,
that they seem not to have been prop
erly trimmed in planting, or to have
been left in connection with the OLD
plants.
In planting pineapple slips or suck
ers. the basal leaves should be pruned
down considerably that is, the leaves
should be pulled off, and when one
reaches he soft tissue of the base
a careful cross section should be made
with a knife. as in preparing cuttings OF
peaches or pears, leaving smooth sur
face from which the roots Will push OUT
easily. The plants you sent seem never
to have been put in the soil, but had
been simply allowed to sucker from the
bases of the old plants and remain
without replanting. If fields of pine
apples are allowed to reproduce them
selves. it is necessary for growers to
carefully go over them and pull off the
suckers located above the ground, leaV-
ing only what are called 'rattOOns,
that is, those suckers which spring out
from the base of the old plants below
the soil, so that the roots when Develop
ed will be pushed out into the surround
ing soil.
"While it is impossible at this dis
lance for us to be certain that the di-
sease in your case is due to improper
manipulation in planting, etc, I am in
clined to think that this is the case OF
course it may be that you have the re-
gular pineapple blight out there, and
that the blight is associated with tangle
root i'm Hawaii.
Il have found by careful microscopic
examination in the field that plants af-
fected with blight almost invariably
show a fine mycelium in connection with
the small roots, which gains entrance
through the root hairs, grows into the
small roots, and thence into the main
stem of the plant, 1t seems to be close
ly related to the Fusarium disease
which Doctor Smith has described.
Whether this fungus induces the mall
ady, however, can be determined only
by careful cultures, which have not
been made.
IF anything of this nature comes up
at any time, we would of course be glad
to hear from you and give you what
ever information we can"