Can you identify the problem

[Wilco]

I was hoping for some help on identifying the problem with my date palm. The ends of the fronds start drying out first moving down, the leaves are also yellow  with what seems to be a type of hite fungus as seen in the pictures.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Wilco

[Tracy]

35 minutes ago, Wilco said:

I was hoping for some help on identifying the problem with my date palm. The ends of the fronds start drying out first moving down, the leaves are also yellow  with what seems to be a type of hite fungus as seen in the pictures.

A couple follow up questions, it appears that it isn't the lower and older leaves on the palm that are showing the damage on terminal leaflets id that accurate?  In the closeup leaf, the white appears to be more bleaching than a fungus.   Is that the white you believe is fungus??

Plants like music, in the interim while diagnosing the issue,  try playing music for them.  My recommendation would be "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A.M.".

[Merlyn]

@Wilcothat's odd.  Have you tried looking at the little white dots under a magnifying glass?  You can get a cheap 8x or 10x jeweler's loupe and easily tell what those things are.  To me they kind of look like an insect.

[SeanK]

It is helpful to know where posters live

[Wilco]

Hi Tracy, Merlyn and Sean!

Thanks for the replies.

Firstly there doesn't seem to be much consistency as to which fonds are effected. I would actually say the newer growth is more effected. However there are fonds lower and upper that only show slight yellowing.

As to the white stuff, I'm no longer sure if its a fungus, if  I smudge it with my finger it turns to powder. I've attached a super macro picture.

I'm located in Mallorca, and yes Tracy playing the soothing sounds of Wilco this beautiful Sunday Morning☺️

[Merlyn]

@Wilcoit sure seems like there's a fungal blight going on there, but it could be from a bug.  Could the white things be the old eggs from something like thrips or a leaf miner?

[Patrick]

Those look like egg casings to me, from a bug...

[fiji jim]

Nuke it and take no risk as it could explode into a bigger infestation.

[Patrick]

The Ortho/ miracle grow ratio sprayer is a good option for spraying out whatever chemicals you may choose to use... I would try soap(y water) with it first; but hey, you do you

[Arecaceus]

Just to stop any further spreading I would observe other plants and especially palms around it if there are any and use a pesticide to spray down the entire crown. After a couple of days I would spray it down again with a fungicide. Looks like bugs to me but fungal issues shouldn't be left out as an (additional) option.

[Tomas]

20 hours ago, Wilco said:

Hi Tracy, Merlyn and Sean!

Thanks for the replies.

Firstly there doesn't seem to be much consistency as to which fonds are effected. I would actually say the newer growth is more effected. However there are fonds lower and upper that only show slight yellowing.

As to the white stuff, I'm no longer sure if its a fungus, if  I smudge it with my finger it turns to powder. I've attached a super macro picture.

I'm located in Mallorca, and yes Tracy playing the soothing sounds of Wilco this beautiful Sunday Morning☺️

An eccellente photo. Could you focus on the light brown oval thing with white borders?  I think it is a female scale, the white spots being male, now mostly dead.

[PalmsandLiszt]

I also think this looks like some sort of hemipteran insect infestation, although not one I've ever seen before. The white bits certainly don't look fungal; the brown spots do, but they could equally be insect damage that has burnt in the sun. @Tomas is probably right that it's some sort of scale. Some of these alternate mobile and sessile generations, so they might have done their damage and left, or alternatively they might be infesting the whole of the rest of the palm. Some sort of systemic insecticide, maybe?

[Merlyn]

@ThomasI see what you mean.  The tan things below might be female scale insects, they are just a bit blurry in the photo:

[awkonradi]

Wilco, Welcome to PalmTalk.  Sorry that your palm has a problem, but glad you came here, and are getting expert advice.