Phytophthora, Morinda

March 2005. There is an outbreak of a Phytophthora disease of Morinda citrifolia in Hawaii. The website with a description of the disease is at:

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/PD-19.pdf

Palau writes that it had predicted that the pest status of other organisms infesting Morinda would change as the crop became more important commercially. This is what was said about the hornworm that had defoliated seedlings …….. “Since this plant – Morinda – is changing from a widely used wild plant to a crop, I think this insect may be of interest, and perhaps eventually important.” It would become a “pest”. As more and more Morinda are planted, turning it into a “crop,” and as they are planted closer together and in larger groups, and as the fruits are transplanted from place to place, it is of no surprise to see outbreaks of “pests” It is a reminder that agroforestry production systems are likely to have fewer pest problems than monocultures. It is a good example of a native species becoming a pest.