Phytophthora crown rot, coconut, FSM

October 2017. On a farm in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, some very sick looking coconut trees were seen. They start wilting from the center of the crown. The member was worried that they might be affected by Tinangaja viroid. There are several trees next to each other showing the same symptom.

It was most likely that the palms were suffering from Phytophthora bud rot. It has been diagnosed previously in FSM, and Phytophthora palmivora isolated. Lightning can cause death of coconuts like that, but you might expect to see symptoms of charring on the trunk.
If not then it’s likely to be coconut bud rot. See these references:
EE Trujillo (1971) A list of diseases of economic plants in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Department of Resources and Development, Division of Agriculture, Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. 23pp.
McKenzie and Jackson (1990) The fungi, bacterial and pathogenic algae of the Federated States of Micronesia. SPC, Noumea, New Caledonia. Technical Paper no. 198.