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Remission of Symptoms Following Tetracycline Treatment of Lethal Yellowing-Infected Coconut Palms. P. Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Department of Botany, University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica; A. J. Dabek(2) and M. Schuiling(3). (2)Graduate Student, Department of Botany, University of the West Indies, Kingston 7, Jamaica; (3)F.A.O. Entomologist/Virologist, Coconut Industry Board, Kingston 10, Jamaica. Phytopathology 64:307-312. Accepted for publication 24 July 1973. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-64-307.

Of twelve lethal yellowing-infected coconut palms in which a minimum concentration of 3 µg/g tetracycline-HCl was maintained for 5 mo, five showed remission of symptoms, five showed delayed symptom development and two showed no difference, when compared with their controls. The strongest responses occurred in palms which initially had the least leaf yellowing. In treated trees, leaf yellowing and nutfall were not arrested until 10-12 wk after first treatment. Taken in conjunction with the finding of mycoplasmalike organisms in diseased palms, these results strongly support the concept of a mycoplasma etiology for lethal yellowing disease.