The manipulation of microbials such as fungi, bacteria, mychorrhiza and axtinomycetes as biocontrol agents (BCAs) is being investigated to control Ganoderma, the causal agent of basal stem rot (BSR) disease of oil palm. The biologica; properties of several antigonistic fungi, namely, Trichoderma (Sariah and Zakaria, 2000; Izzati and Abdullah, 2008), Aspergillus (Shukla and Uniyal, 1989), have been studied and proven to be antagonistic against Ganoderma boninense. They have been shown to have potential in inhibiting the growth of G. boninense Zaiton et al., 2008). An endophytic fungus in defined as an organism that lives in associate with plants for most, if not all, of its life cycle. Such an organisms lives within the intercellular soaces of plants, where it lives off apoplectic nutrients. Potential endophytic fungi were investigated through in vitro and nursery studies against G. boninense.

Main Research: Dr. Idris Abu Se