Diagnosis of Ganoderma infection in oil palm is based on the presence of basidiomata of the pathogen on the stem base or frond bases or roots. To conduct various studies on Ganoderma in oil palm, a Ganoderma selective medium (GSM) was developed. The medium was used to isolate the pathogen from any part of the infected tissues directly from the field, with or without surface sterilization. The GSM enables identification of the presence of Genoderma infection in plants even when external symptoms are not revealed. Studies elsewhere indicate that 5%-16% of healthy looking oil palms are actually infected. The method used in these studies is time consuming and the accuracy is not very high. Other technologies for the early detection of Ganoderma have been developed through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-polyclonal antibody (ELISA-PAb) and the molecular polymerase chain reaction-DNA techniques. 

Main Research: Dr. Idris Abu Seman