Basal stem rot (BSR) caused by some species of Ganoderma, is the most destructive disease of oil palm in Southeast Asia (Turner and Gillbanks, 2003). The disease can infect oil palm at all stages of its growth. Infected, immature palms normally die within 6-24 months of the first foliar symptoms, while mature palms may survive two to three years or more. Various molecular and immunological methods have been described for detecting the disease in oil palm, including the DNA-polymerase chain reaction and use of polyclonal antibodies (Bridge et al., 2000; Utomo and Niepold, 2000; Idris et al., 2003). This article reports the use of polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) against the crude mycelial proteins of G. boninense to serologically detect the fungus by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). ELISA is a technique for rapid quantification of a particular protein in a protein mixture using highly specific antibodies. The technique offers greater simplicity and requires less equipment than using DNA probes.

Main Research: Dr Idris Abu Seman