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6
Control
H. Soepena
Strategy
et al.for Basal Stem Rot on Oil Palm

A Control Strategy for Basal 6

Stem Rot (Ganoderma) on Oil
Palm
H. Soepena, R.Y. Purba and S. Pawirosukarto
Indonesian Oil Palm Research Institute (IOPRI), Jl. Brigjen
Katamso 51, Medan, Indonesia

Introduction
Basal stem rot (BSR) caused by Ganoderma boninense Pat. is the most
destructive disease of oil palm in South-East Asia (Khairudin, 1993). The
disease can infect all stages of the oil-palm plants. The disease progresses
slowly but every infected plant usually dies. In the early stages of infection
plants usually appear symptomless and the symptoms appear only when the
plant is severely infected, so plants with severe symptoms are unable to be
saved. The disease is considered to be spread from plant to plant through root
connections, although long-range disease dissemination, with spores spread
by wind, has also been considered (Sanderson et al., this volume). Repeated
palm replanting on the same area has led to an increase in BSR disease
incidence, which increases from one generation to another.
To date there is no adequate control for BSR in the field. No appropriate
fungicide is available for effective control of BSR and no genetic resistance to
the disease has been described in Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Möller and Schultz,
1997). Cultural control techniques have little effect on the control of BSR,
because the pathogen can survive in the soil for several years (Soepena,
1996). BSR causes a decrease in all palm stands and reduces yield rapidly, so
that production is uneconomic. Thus, biological control methods using
Trichoderma spp. and Gliocladium sp. have been developed and a strategy for
management of the disease using a biofungicide is reported here.

©CAB International 2000. Ganoderma Diseases of Perennial Crops

(eds J. Flood, P.D. Bridge and M. Holderness) 83

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84 H. Soepena et al.

Oil-palm Basal Stem Rot (Ganoderma Stem Rot)

The causal agent of BSR

The causal agent of BSR on oil palms is G. boninense Pat. Fruiting bodies of
Ganoderma collected from some oil-palm estates in Malaysia (Ho and Nawawi,
1985) and North Sumatra (Abadi, 1987) have been identified as G. boninense.
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) have confirmed specimens of
Ganoderma from North Sumatra as G. boninense (Utomo, 1997).
Ganoderma is a saprophytic soil inhabitant, indigenous to the tropical
rainforest, but under some circumstances it can become pathogenic. Species
of Ganoderma have a wide host range – more than 44 species from 34 genera of
plants have been identified as potential hosts (Venkatarayan, 1936), including
coconut and oil palm, which are the main source of infection of Ganoderma
stem rot in oil palms (Hasan and Turner, 1998).

The disease symptoms

G. boninense can infect all stages of oil palm, from seedling to old palms. Palms
infected early in their life cycle can remain symptomless, the symptoms only
becoming clear after the palms are more than 12 years old (Lubis, 1992), but
in the second and third replantings the symptoms can appear as early as 1–2
years after planting in the field.
Ganoderma infection on seedlings or young palms usually occurs on roots
and is followed by the spread of infection into the base of the bole (Fig. 6.1).
External symptoms include a chlorosis of newly emerging leaves or partially
dead old fronds. Disease symptoms on the old palms is clearer, the appearance
of a number of spear leaves and collapse of old fronds are the main symptoms
(Fig. 6.2).

Basal Stem Rot Control Management

BSR control strategy

BSR could be managed satisfactory if the source of infection of Ganoderma could

be completely destroyed. Thus management of BSR in oil-palm replanting
areas should be based upon the following strategy: (i) use of uninfected
soil in polybags to grow seedlings; (ii) prevention of infection in young
growing palms; (iii) eradication of all sources of Ganoderma in the field; and
(iv) application of biofungicides (Trichoderma spp.).

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 Control Strategy for Basal Stem Rot on Oil Palm 85

Early warning system

Although biofungicide treatments are given to all growing plants, special

attention must be given to emerging disease symptoms, especially for the first
5 years. Disease symptoms should be evaluated twice a year and disease
incidence should be reported. An application of further biofungicide is made as
soon as possible, or severely infected and dead plants are removed, the planting
hole treated with biofungicide and healthy seedlings replanted.

Biological control method for Ganoderma

Ganoderma has many natural antagonists, such as Trichoderma spp.,

Actinomycetes sp. and Bacillus spp. (Abadi, 1987; Soepena and Purba, 1998).
Trichoderma spp. are usually found as saprophytic soil inhabitants, but
some of them have been successfully selected as antagonists to Ganoderma
(Dharmaputra, 1989; Soepena et al., 1999). Trichoderma koningii Oud. Isolate
Marihat (MR14) is one of the most powerful antagonists against Ganoderma
and has been formulated as the active ingredient in a biofungicide (Soepena
and Purba, 1998). Other species, such as Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma

Fig. 6.1. Ganoderma-infected seed-

ling: note the rotten tissue on the base
of the bole.

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86 H. Soepena et al.

Fig. 6.2. The main symptoms of Ganoderma disease on an old oil palm: note the
accumulation of spear leaves and collapse of old fronds.

harzianum and Gliocladium virens have also been used as biological control
agents against Ganoderma, but these species are better for decomposing organic
material in fields. A combination of antagonistic and saprophytic fungi is
very useful for destroying Ganoderma propagules and decomposing oil-palm
residues in windrows.
The biofungicide contains 5–8 × 106 conidia and chlamydospores of
T. koningii per gram of product in a natural medium.

Application of the biofungicide

Trichoderma survives as chlamydospores under unfavourable conditions,

and most of these are resistant to many kinds of chemical pesticides, such as
organochlorines, organosulphides, organophosphites and bromides, and her-
bicides (Eveleigh, 1985). However, Trichoderma also requires water for growth,
so the Trichoderma biofungicide is applied at the beginning or end of the rainy
season. The dose of the biofungicide depends on the size of the palms.

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 Control Strategy for Basal Stem Rot on Oil Palm 87

Preventative treatments
Seedlings grown in polybags can be infected by Ganoderma from infected soil, so
soil taken from disease-free areas should be used and the seedlings treated with
Trichoderma biofungicide by spreading it on the surface of the polybag. This will
help to eradicate any inoculum and will protect the seedlings after planting in
the field. Planting holes in heavily infected areas must also be treated with
Trichoderma biofungicide prior to planting a seedling, to help eradicate the
inoculum in the soil and protect newly growing palms. The biofungicide can
also be applied to oil-palm trunks in windrows in order to eradicate Ganoderma
propagules and increase decomposition. Young palms should be treated
annually for 5 years.

Curative treatments
In addition to preventative treatment, newly infected plants can be treated
with Trichoderma biofungicide. The biofungicide can be injected into the base of
the bole of infected plants using soil injection: 3 holes are made under the base
of the bole of the infected plant with a soil auger, and the biofungicide can be
applied. This method can be used for special palms, such as highly productive
or mother plants. Surgery to remove rotten tissue can also be conducted on
these special palms in conjunction with application of the biofungicide to the
affected areas.

Field sanitation

It is very important to keep the oil-palm plantations free from sources of the
pathogen, so good field sanitation is essential. All infected plant materials
should be treated with Trichoderma biofungicide.

References
Abadi, A.L. (1987) Biologi Ganoderma boninense Pat. Pada kelapa sawit (Elaeis
guineensis Jacq.) dan pengaruh beberapa mikroba tanah antagonistik terhadap
pertumbuhannya. PhD thesis, IPB, Bogor.
Dharmaputra, O.S. (1989) Fungi antagonistik terhadap Ganoderma boninense
Pat. Penyebab busuk pangkal batang pada kelapa sawit di Adolina. Laporan
tahunan Kerjasama Penelitian PP Marihat-BIOTROP, SEAMEO BIOTROP, Bogor,
pp. 28–43.
Eveleigh, D.E. (1985) Trichoderma. In: Demain, A.L. and Solomon, N.A. (eds) Biology of
Industrial Microorganisms. Benjamin Cunning, London, pp. 487–509.
Hasan, Y. and Turner, P.D. (1998) The comparative importance of different oil palm
tissue as infection source for BSR in replantings. The Planter 74(864), 119–135.
Ho, Y.W. and Nawawi, A. (1985) Ganoderma boninense Pat. From basal stem rot of oil
palm in Peninsular Malaysia. Pertanika 8, 425–428.

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88 H. Soepena et al.

Khairudin, H. (1993) Basal stem rot of oil palm caused by Ganoderma boninense. An
update. PORIM, International Palm Oil Congress, Update and Vision. PORIM,
Kuala Lumpur, pp. 739–749.
Lubis, A.U. (1992) Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) di Indonesia. Pusat Penelitian
Perkebunan Marihat-Bandar Kuala, Pematang Siantar, Sumatera Utara.
Möller, C. and Schultz, C. (1997) Biotechnological Applications for Oil Palm Improvement.
Proceedings of the BTIG Workshop on Oil Palm Improvement through Biotechnol-
ogy, pp. 14–26.
Soepena, H. (1996) Serangan penyakit Ganoderma pada kelapa sawit di kebun Padang
Halaban. Pusat Penelitian Karet, Sungei Putih.
Soepena, H. and Purba, R.Y. (1998) Biological Control Strategy for Basal Stem Rot on Oil
Palm. International Workshop on Ganoderma Diseases of Perenial Crops. MARDI
Training Centre, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Soepena, H., Purba, R.Y. and Pawirosukarto, S. (1999) Pedoman Teknis Pengendalian
Ganoderma. Pusat Penelitian Kelapa Sawit, (IOPRI) Medan.
Utomo, Ch. (1997) Early Detection of Ganoderma in oil palm by ELISA technique. MSc
thesis, Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, George
August University, Germany.
Venkatarayan, S.V. (1936) The biology of Ganoderma lucidum on areca and coconut
palms. Phytopathology 26, 153–175.

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