Basal stem rot (BSR)caused by Ganoderma is a disease of economic importance to the oil palm industry in Malaysia. To date, the disease is managed through cultural practices such as sanitation during replanting which reduces the risk of encountering the disease at an early stage of growth. Studies using chemical control are still ongoing and need further investigation. The most recent study on chemical is the use of hexaconazole applied by a pressure injector which gave a lower mortality rate of the palms (Idris et al., 2004). Using Trichoderma is an environmental friendly approch towards managing the BSR problem. The fungus has some very unique mechanisms for controlling pathogens, such as mycroparasitism, antibiosis, competition for nutrients or space, tolerance to stress, solubilization and sequestration of inorganic nutrients, induced resistance of the host plant, and inactivation of the pathogen’s enzymes (Chet, 1987). At MPOB, nursery trials and laboratory tests using Trichoderma spp. revealed good results in their use as biological control agents of BSR in oil palm.

Main Research: Shamala Sundra