I suspect that it is because it is in a pot rather than being a disease. How big is the container? What is the potting medium? And have you fed it? These can grow enormous and in a pot they are going to need a lot of care. If it is stressed by lack of food and moisture, which would be likely in a pot, it could exhibit premature fall symptoms.

The potting medium is some type of organic potting soil mixed with a good amount of vermic. I water it every 1-2 days until water comes out the bottom and feed it fish fertilizer now and then.

The pot is about 20".

They are going dormant now - the leaves will all fall, so you can cut it back when that happens, to the SIXTH set of nodes from the main trunk.

Thanks but...this started back in mid-August. Could dormancy have been the explanation back then...was it already going dormant?

Tx

Mine is huge, but it is quite normal for the foliage to turn yellow in places as the summer wears on. As long as the plant shows healthy new growth and the abnormal coloring is here and there and not all over, I wouldn't worry -- these are tough plants.