InfoSAWIT, BANDUNG – Palm oil industry progress is the main basic to maintain the stable economy nationally. In 2022, palm oil exports contributed about US$ 34,94 billion or about Rp 600 trillion, dominated agricultural exports from Indonesia. though it had big potential, challenges seriously raised up in the form of root disease caused by Ganoderma. This would have something to do with palm oil production and productivity.
Ganoderma International Symposium in Bandung opened insight about this issue. General Director of Plantation Ministry of Agriculture, Andi Nur Alam Syah said that about 46.767 hectares of the smallholders’ plantation are attacked by Ganorderma namely in Sumatera which has been the fifth generation. The disease spreads in 12 provinces in Indonesia and makes serious issue for palm oil industries.
The government responded by monitoring and reporting Ganoderma issue in every province by using Sistem Informasi Pelaporan dan Rekap Data (SIPERDA OPT). Director of Various Palm and Palm Oil Plantation, General Directorate of Plantation Ministry of Agriculture, Ardi Praptono told that Sistem Informasi Kesehatan Tanaman (SINTA) application has been used to control plant pest organism.
But the challenges keep existing. Ganoderma threatens the sustainability in palm oil industries in Indonesia.
Chairman of Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), Eddy Martono said that the industries deliver not only big revenue for this country but also provide employment for 16,2 million men directly and indirectly.
As in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Tuesday (30/1/2024), Ganoderma would cause stem root, threaten productivity and sustainability of palm oil. It attacks palm oil plantations of the stakeholders and smallholders. It was often late to be detected and should get big losses.
The mitigation, for instance, sanitation, early detection, and get engineered – Ganoderma resistant, did not satisfy yet. The attacks happened in many provinces within the issue about specific location control. This would decrease the plant population, minimize (fresh fruit bunch) production and plantation productivity.
In this context, the symposium was hoped to be the forum and discuss the concrete solution. Eddy did welcome the good initiative and hoped that the collaboration of experts and plantation practitioner would get the solution about Ganoderma attacks.
Dadang Gusyana, Chairman in Agronomy, Perkumpulan Praktisi Profesional Perkebunan Indonesia (P3PI) said that palm oil plantation production would be not sustainable until 2050 – 2100 if Ganoderma attacks would be escalating. It needs further research to effectively develop strategic mitigation.
Tony Liwang from Research Committee PFMA, said that PFMA did fund research about Ganoderma, including using drone to get early detection. This is hoped to minimize the attacks of Ganoderma. But the challenge would need more research and fund to effectively get mitigation.
Though Ganoderma is considered as a serious threat, there is hope still. At the principle, Ganoderma cannot attack healthy plants. That is why it needs to prevent it, such as, using antagonist organism, such as, mycorrhza and trichoderma to be the solution.
Head of Plantation Agency Jambi Province, Agus Rizal showed the reality by using trichorderma to help fight Ganoderma. It is significant to get multi-party collaboration to solve the issue.
Hendra J Purba, General Secretary of P3PI told that the symposium would be the way to introduce palm oil in the region for many do not know it still. Besides, Bandung where it was the location of the symposium, is the tourism destination, and would get access with fast train, the Woosh, would ease every participant from many regions in Indonesia.
Ganoderma could be a serious threat for palm oil plantation industries in Indonesia and it needs concrete solution to maintain the sustainability in the industries. By having synergy among the governments, industries, and researchers, it is hoped to get effective strategies to solve Ganoderma in palm oil plantations in this country. (T2)
