Aman Dusun Vs. Parasites

As you can see from our plant gallery, Aman Dusun is home to a variety of plants. Most of these plants were planted by us almost ten years ago. Unfortunately, not all our plants can share a spot in our plant gallery. Just two years ago, the owners spotted brown dots growing on many of their plants. At first, the owner assumed that the brown spots were products of sawdust; at the time, Aman Dusun was a construction zone. They assumed that these brown spots were only temporary. but they were wrong.

Today, these brown spots cover a majority of the plants in Aman Dusun, leaving only a few to enter our plant gallery. They were parasitic and lived off the nutrients in leaves. If leaves are covered with brown spots, plants wouldn't be able to perform photosynthesis: a necessary means of obtaining food. That very parasite damaged most of our fruit trees during fruit season. These spots can spread like wildfire, and it's time for experts to analyze our situation.

Cephaleuros virescens. It's a type of parasitic algae that can appear as rusty brown spots on leaves. They are more prevalent in humid climates, and we live right on the equator so.... Its seedlings (spores) can spread through wind, rain, and plant debris. In some cases, this algae can infect the plant's seedlings and create infected plants. Fortunately, we haven't seen this happen on our farm.

The algae favor plants with poor nutrition and areas with low air circulation. Once its spores land on leaves, it immediately infects the leaf's tissue. Penetrating the leaf's cuticles, the algae begin to break down most of the leaf's tissue; this creates the rusty brown spots that are often associated with cephaleuros virescens. These spots can minimize the plant's photosynthetic potential--indirectly damaging our fruit numbers.

Our solutions are non-invasive. We have been advised to cut most of our tree's branches. This will increase air circulation making it more difficult for spores to spread. Furthermore, we've started to use an organic spray called Superbacti Bravo to combat these algal parasites. The spray contains a strain of bacteria called Bacillus salmalaya; it's naturally resistant to spores and can help the plant to create enzymes necessary to break down toxins. In the evening, we would spray branches, stems, trunks, and leaves; this will ensure that the spray will not evaporate. We'll keep you updated on this situation.

Fortunately, the owner has spotted a few fruits beginning to bloom here and there. There will always be fruits for you in Aman Dusun.