Potential of Omics to Control Diseases and Pests in the Coconut Tree

Abstract

The coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.) is a common crop in pantropical areas facing various challenges, one of them being the control of diseases and pests. Diseases such as bud rot caused by Phytophthora palmivora, lethal yellowing caused by phytoplasmas of the types 16SrIV-A, 16SrIV-D or 16SrIV-E, among others, and pests like the coconut palm weevil, Rhynchophorus vulneratus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and the horned beetle, Oryctes rhinocerus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), are controlled by applying pesticides, pheromones and cultural control. These practices do not guarantee eradication since some causal agents have become resistant or are imbedded in infected tissues making them difficult to eradicate. This review condenses the current genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics studies which are being conducted with the aim of understanding the pathosystems associated with the coconut palm, highlighting the findings generated by omics studies that may become future targets for the control of diseases and pests in the coconut crop.