THE EDITOR, Sir:
YOUR EDITION of June 27, 2006 carried an article on the Opinion page by Hugh Martin entitled 'Real Agricultural Developments'. A few years ago, I spoke up about the existence of serious soil-based plant disease problems that were drastically affecting crop yields in Jamaica. He starts off his article in saying that "I had thought this had been put to rest by the volumes of evidence against it put forward by local scientists" and then goes on to state that there is no denial of its existence! It looks like the real problem here is the fact that it was I who brought it to the forefront and not those who should have!
Anyways, there were no "volumes of evidence against it" and the local scientists he refers to have no doctorate degrees, are not trained plant pathologists and have very few international publications. The scientists whom I asked to visit and look at the matter include Professor M. Davis of University of Florida, Professor G. Abawi of Cornell University, Professor Gary Simone of University of Florida and Dr. J. Waller of the Intl. Mycological Inst. (CABI). These professionals are all trained plant pathologists, with years of international expertise and publications.
The local scientist most suitable to render an opinion on the matter is Dr. Phyllis Coates-Beckford of UWI (Mona). When I first met her and showed her some samples of cane roots, her reply was, "This is your typical root rot problem". She too has demonstrated with her work, most notably on breadfruit trees, that there is a serious soil-based plant disease problem in Jamaica. I should also point out that some of the visiting scientists are known personally by Dr. Coates-Beckford.
NOT ONLY IN THE SOIL
From the CABI publication 'Soilborne Diseases of Tropical Crops' co-edited by Dr. J. Waller, in the sugar section, which is written by three Australian sugar cane plant pathologists (B. Egan, B. Croft and R. Magery), Sugarcane Yield Decline (SYD) is a term used for what is best described as non-defined soil-based diseases. But this is not only what is in the sugar cane soils of Jamaica, as Mr. Martin might want to suggest.
The following defined sugar cane soil diseases 'Pineapple Disease' (in spite of the name, a disease of cane plantings!), 'Pythium Root Rot", 'Fusarium Sett or Stem Rot', 'Wilt' and 'Basal Stem, Root and Sheath Rot' exist here. All of them are serious diseases and are very much present in Jamaica, heavily contributing to the low yields.
NOTHING TO REJOICE ABOUT
Getting yields of "twice the national average" is nothing to rejoice about, especially when irrigation systems of drip or centre pivot types are used. With the national average hovering around 20 tons cane/acre, this yield would be around 40 tons/acre. You cannot pay for these types of irrigation systems with that yield. With centre pivot you should be getting yields of over 65 tons/acre and with drip irrigation, yields should be over 80 tons/acre. This is not a case of "timely and well managed inputs", as what is happening here is more akin to a sick person on life support, literally on a drip system!!
I am, etc.,
MARK BROOKS
Richmond Farms Ltd
Malvern PO Box 47
St. Elizabeth
