Phytophthora bud  & root rot Fact Sheet by Dr. Henry Donselman, Palm Specialist     Phytophthora bud rot is common in California, particularly on stressed palms.  This fungal disease can affect the roots of palms, especially if drainage is a problem or the soil stays overly wet.  More commonly, it is called a "Bud Rot" since often the visible sign we observe is the death of the newer emerging leaves.  Generally at this stage there is little that we can do, but drenches of the bud with Alliette have been curative when the symptoms are not too far advanced.  A foul smell is often associated with the decaying palm tissue and secondary larval insects and worms are often visible.           This disease almost always affects palms that are stressed for some other (generally horticultural) reason.  It is commonly seen in newly transplanted palms and is most severe in California in palms planted in poorly drained soils high in clay content.  For this and other reasons it is important to always make sure that drainage has been properly installed in new planting sites. Dr. Alan Meerow provides the following from Betrock's Guide to the Landscape Palms. (YOU SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK)     "Phytophthora bud rot is one of the more common diseases encountered in palms in wet tropical climates. It is primarily a warm season disease. This soilborne fungus causes collapse or brown-out of the younger foliage and emerging leaf. Discoloration of the internal tissue of the stem is evident, often accompanied by a foul smell. Phytophthora can also cause a leaf spot. Good control of bud rot is accomplished by drenching the soil with metalaxyl (Subdue), or applying a foliar spray of fosetyl aluminum (Alliette) at label rate. Foliar applied fosetyl aluminum will translocate to the roots of the palm, whereas metalaxyl will reduce populations of this soil-borne fungus in the root zone.  Overwatering and planting too deeply aggravate incidence's of Phytophthora."

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