Skip to main content
Log in

Enhancing biological control of basal stem rot disease (Ganoderma boninense) in oil palm plantations

  • Published:
Mycopathologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease caused by Ganoderma boninense is the most destructive disease in oil palm, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia. The available control measures for BSR disease such as cultural practices and mechanical and chemical treatment have not proved satisfactory due to the fact that Ganoderma has various resting stages such as melanised mycelium, basidiospores and pseudosclerotia. Alternative control measures to overcome the Ganoderma problem are focused on the use of biological control agents and planting resistant material. Present studies conducted at Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI) are focused on enhancing the use of biological control agents for Ganoderma. These activities include screening biological agents from the oil palm rhizosphere in order to evaluate their effectiveness as biological agents in glasshouse and field trials, testing their antagonistic activities in large scale experiments and eradicating potential disease inoculum with biological agents. Several promising biological agents have been isolated, mainly Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, Gliocladium viride, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Bacillus sp. A glasshouse and field trial for Ganoderma control indicated that treatment with T. harzianum and G. viride was superior to Bacillus sp. A large scale trial showed that the disease incidence was lower in a field treated with biological agents than in untreated fields. In a short term programme, research activities at IOPRI are currently focusing on selecting fungi that can completely degrade plant material in order to eradicate inoculum. Digging holes around the palm bole and adding empty fruit bunches have been investigated as ways to stimulate biological agents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Semangun H. Penyakit–penyakit tanaman perkebunan di Indonesia. Yogyakarta: Gadjah Mada University Press, 1990: 808.

  • R Treu (1998) ArticleTitleMacro fungi in oil palm plantations of South East Asia J Gen Mycol 12 10–14

    Google Scholar 

  • PD Turner (Eds) (1981) Oil Palm Diseases and Disorders Oxford University Press Oxford 280

    Google Scholar 

  • Darmono TW. Ganoderma in oil palm in Indonesia: current status and prospective use of antibodies for the detection of infection. In: Harman GE, Kubicek CP, eds. Trichoderma and Gliocladium Volume 1: Enzymes, biological control and commercial applications. UK: Taylor & Francis Ltd., 1998: 393.

  • LF Johnson EA Curl (Eds) (1972) Methods for Research on the Ecology of Soil Borne Plant Pathogens Burgess Publishing Company Minnesota 247

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Susanto.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Susanto, A., Sudharto, P. & Purba, R. Enhancing biological control of basal stem rot disease (Ganoderma boninense) in oil palm plantations. Mycopathologia 159, 153–157 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-004-4438-0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-004-4438-0

Keywords

Navigation