Stem Bleeding Management Quiz Quiz

Enhance your understanding of stem bleeding disease in coconut cultivation through practical and scenario-based questions focused on symptoms, causes, and integrated control methods.

1. Identifying Key Symptoms

   What is the most characteristic visible symptom of stem bleeding disease in coconut palms?

   1. Yellowing of older fronds followed by complete defoliation
   2. Oozing of dark brown liquid from cracks at the base of the trunk
   3. Formation of sticky white powder on the leaf surface
   4. Development of large holes in the nut shell

   Explanation: The hallmark sign of stem bleeding is the oozing of a dark brown liquid from cracks near the base of the trunk. Yellowing fronds can indicate other stresses or diseases, sticky white powder suggests pest infestation, and holes in nut shells are related to pest damage, not stem bleeding.

2. Major Causal Agent

   Which fungal pathogen is primarily responsible for causing stem bleeding in coconut plantations?

   1. Ganoderma lucidum
   2. Fusarium oxysporum
   3. Ceratocystis paradoxa
   4. Phytophthora palmivora

   Explanation: Ceratocystis paradoxa is the main pathogen associated with stem bleeding in coconuts. Phytophthora palmivora causes bud rot, Fusarium oxysporum is linked to wilt diseases, and Ganoderma lucidum is responsible for basal stem rot.

3. Management Practice – Soil Health

   Which soil management practice helps reduce the incidence of stem bleeding disease in coconut gardens?

   1. Removing healthy green fronds regularly
   2. Reducing irrigation during summer months
   3. Spraying copper fungicides on the canopy
   4. Applying well-rotted farmyard manure and maintaining adequate drainage

   Explanation: Improving soil health through organic amendments and ensuring proper drainage help minimize disease risk. Reducing irrigation may cause other stresses, copper fungicide sprays on the canopy are ineffective against stem bleeding, and removing healthy fronds can harm the palm.

4. Chemical Control Options

   When chemical intervention is necessary, which is a recommended treatment for active stem bleeding lesions?

   1. Injecting antibiotics into the stem
   2. Spraying insecticide on the soil surface
   3. Applying Bordeaux paste on the affected trunk area after cleaning
   4. Dusting sulfur powder on the leaves

   Explanation: Bordeaux paste applied to cleaned lesions is a recommended treatment. Spraying insecticides addresses pests, not fungal pathogens; antibiotics are not standard for plant fungal diseases; sulfur dusting is ineffective for stem lesions.

5. Sanitation and Cultural Control

   Which practice best aids in preventing the spread of stem bleeding disease during routine farm operations?

   1. Leaving pruned infected material on the ground
   2. Applying excessive nitrogen fertilizers
   3. Sterilizing pruning tools before use on multiple palms
   4. Planting new coconuts very close to infected palms

   Explanation: Sterilizing tools helps prevent mechanical transmission of the pathogen. Leaving infected material in the field can further disease spread, excessive nitrogen can weaken plant resistance, and close planting increases disease transmission risks.