- Widespread distribution. Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania. On oil palm, coconut and many other palms and trees. An important disease.
- Yellowing and mottling on older leaves, and they droop and rot; growth slows and spear leaves fail to unfurl; brackets grow from the base of the bole. Death occurs 6-12 months after first symptoms.
- Spread disputed: Is it root-to-root contact or spores?
- Cultural control: mound soil around infected palms to stimulate new roots; before replanting, either remove bole and shred everything, or leave bole and windrow trunks; plant cover crops to hasten decay of the palms.
- Chemical control: none recommended.
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides - Online edition
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides
Oil palm basal stem rot (275)
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Summary
Common Name
Basal stem rot of oil palm
Scientific Name
Ganoderma boninense
AUTHOR Grahame Jackson
Information from Rees RW, et al. (2012) Ganoderna boninense basidiospores in oil palm plantations: evaluation of their possible role in stem rots of Elaeis guineensis. Plant Pathology 61:567-578; and Chung Gait Fee (2011) Management of Ganoderma diseases in oil palm plantations. Sustainable agriculture - an insight into Ganoderma. Agrinos Sdn. Bhd., Kuala Lumpur; and CABI (2012) Ganoderma boninense (basal stem rot of oil palm). Crop Protection Compendium. (https://www.cabi.org/cpc/datasheet/24924); and from Hushiarian R, et al. (2013) Detection and control of Ganoderma boninense: strategies and perspectives. PMC. (doi: 10.1186/2193-1801-2-555).
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
