DISEASES OF OIL PALM

Aerial symptoms of basal stem rot on a 7-year old palm

A. Pathogenic showing death & dessication of lowermost leaves and
unexpanded spear leaves
Basal Stem Rot – Ganoderma
Mainly coastal and flats with
high water table
Ex coconut or oil palm – severe
Spread by contact and via
spores
Affect any age of palms
Symptoms : unopened spears,
lack vigour, droop fronds,
dieback and topple over. Older fronds hang down to form a skirt of dead leaves
Treatment : if detected early – around the palms
surgery; if late – remove
completely and shred affected
with construction of sanitation
pits.
Economic importance –
(i) affect replanting operations
(ii) elaborate costly procedure to
remove all inoculums.
Marasmius Bunch Rot
Poor vigour, low-lying
damp areas – poor
ventilation. Fructifications of
Marasmius palmivorus – Marasmius

white rhizome
Reduce oil content –
shrunk fruitlets and
bunch rot
Treatment : sanitation;
spray with mercury base
fungicide; antimucin;
protect sprayers Poorly pollinated
bunches through
which mycelium of
Marasmius has
ramified
 Crown Disease Bud Rot/Spear Rot

A palm seriously affected by Crown Disease with

many bent fronds
 Wither Tip Upper Stem Rot

Severe Wither Tip disease in which the distal Collapse of a palm affected by Upper
parts of the fronds have become fragmented Stem Rot
after spear expansion
 Stem Wet Rot Charcoal Base Rot

A young palm extensively affected by Stem Diseased tissues at the stem base
Wet Rot
 Bunch Stalk Rot Fruit Rot

The distal portion of the bunch has aborted and Rotting at the base of the fruit bunch where
fallen away, leaving a crater. The bunch stalk in pollination was poor.
this region is rotten.
 B. Nutritional & Physiological
Nutrient Deficiency
Nitrogen/Potassium/Magnesium/Boron/White Stripe (nutrient imbalance)
Nutrient deficiency is not common in the presence of good agronomy.
2 common deficiencies are
a. Magnesium : usually in steep terrain, deep-cut roadsides, water-l
logging causing poor nutrient uptake. Enhance by dry weather –
sunshine and moisture stress.
Symptoms : yellow low fronds to dessication. Treatment : Kieserite/GML
depending on soil. In pockets for steep slopes. Long term – mulching for
better root system for better nutrient uptake.

b. Boron : Minor element but very important and requires quick remedial
action. If unattended, bunch abortion and eventual dieback via bud rot.
Symptoms : shortening of new fronds; flat top hook leaves, blind leaves,
fish tail, fish bone, little leaf. Cause : boost in growth; heavy fruiting –
initial flower retention. Treatment : Borate – critical fertiliser; toxicity if not
properly applied or overdose.
 Hyperacidity

Mainly coastal flat or big

inland swamp. Intensity of
acidity depends on depth of
cat clay.
Sulphate + air = H.S. + H.O –
Sulphuric Acid
Low ph – release aluminium
which is toxic to plants.
Symptoms : dessication of
fronds - low → up.
Irreversible drying of soil.
Bare ground condition.
Treatment : maintain high
water table over cat clay
layer and flush frequently.
Liming, bunch ash manure
preferred.
Severe dessication associated with growth in soil which has a very
acid layer close to the surface. Hyperacidity is also indicated by the
virtual absence of ground cover.
Leaf Base Wilt

Quite common and no

proven ill-effects on yield
except occasional
compression of the lower
bunches causing bunch
stalk rot. May be due to
weakness of palms/fronds
base, overbearing and
clonal characteristics.
No treatment except to
remove obstructing fronds
where necessary.

Drooping of fronds subtending fruit bunches in Leaf Wilt Base

Bunch Failure
Quite common.
Causes : weather – abortion;
overbearing – abortion;
poor pollination;
flood;
genetic – (i) mentle bunch
as in clonal material and
melanococca crosses
(ii) “king” palms

Abortion of an immature fruit bunch.

The glossy appearance typical of a
healthy fruit is absent in the aborted
section
 Peat Yellow Plant Failure

A palm growing in deep peat area showing severe

symptoms of Peat Yellow
Plant Failure, showing the erect habit of
affected palms
 Rachis internal browning

Advanced disintegration of parenchymatous tissue in a frond affected by Rachis Internal Browning,

marked by a darker coloration of affected tissues.
C. Miscellaneous
Transplanting Shock
Causes : poor standard of
planting; rough handling of
seedlings; dry weather after
planting.
Symptoms : dessicated
older fronds; stagnant
unopened spears; pale and
yellow in colour.
Prevention : care during
handling/planting; nurse for
a period if seedlings have
undergone transport shock;
mulching and watering;
supplying.
Economic Effect : delayed
maturity; uneven field.
Leaf dieback associated with transplanting shock
Deep Planting
More than one inch from nursery level for 10 – 12 monhts, i.e. covering
the growing shoot.
Symptoms : choke effect; stunted
Remedy : lower soil around collar if water logging is not a problem;
replant if possible; supply if advanced in field.

Genetic Disorders
Still common. Indicates poor culling at nursery stages.
Symptoms : abnormal features; poor yielders
Treatment : poison! ; supply if less than two years old.
 Genetic Disorders
Chimaera Orange Spotting

A palm showing Genetic orange Spotting. The palms

surrounding it are normal in colour.
Chlorotic sectors on a frond from a Chimaera
Choke

Congested and twisted fronds in a young palm affected by Choke

Inadequate Pollination –
Parthenocarpy

Parthenocarpy fruits : non-

fertilised fruits, no seeds
Less common now due to
pollination by weevils.
Confined to extreme
weather, e.g. monsoon and
newly matured fields in
isolated areas.
Treatment : ablate if palm
is still not matured
Preventive steps :
Introduce weevils. Do not
ablate male inflorescences.

Inadequate pollination : only a few fruits

have developed on the bunch
Crown Fracture
Quite common in certain
estates. Mainly older palms
≥10 years. Caused by strong
winds. Possibly due to sudden
boost in growth, thus weaken
the crown/shoots. Sudden
good weather. After a good
manuring. Herbicide - amine
Treatment : excise collapsed
crown promptly to encourage
new shoots to form.

Crown Fracture : only the central

portion of the crown has been affected
Herbicide Damage

Contact & Translocation

Symptoms :
- Contact – scorched;
- Translocated – twisting and other malformation
Mode : via drift or soil – normally windy after 10.00 a.m. Mix up in
spraying utensils between pests and diseases and weedicides.
Careless spraying
 Contact Translocated

Damage to pinnae following application of Damage to pinnae caused by spray drift of a

the herbicide Amitrol herbicide containing paraquat
Lightning
Act of nature. Direct hit – death; Indirect hit – dessication of fronds
Typical symptoms : Accompanying death of ground vegetation. No cure.

Rare type of lightning damage in which the Death of fronds on one side only, facing
trunk bends over but does not snap towards the centre of a lightning strike
 Fire
Happens normally during
long drought via burning
of ground fronds. Palms
are resilient and will
recover in ½ to 2 years
depending on severity of
burn.
Special fertiliser
programme required for
quick recovery
Control : control or curtail
spraying during drought.
Do not stack fronds in
continuous rows. Clear
government roadsides
and railway line boundary.
NO SMOKING as lighted
cigarette butts are one of
the main causes of fire.

Severe fire damage sustained by a young palm