InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - Plantation Protection Research Team of PPKS, Agus Susanto told that stem base rot caused by Ganoderma boninense where the plantations with such disease laid on about 118 thousand hectares. “The economic losses could be more than 4 trillion per year,” he said.
He also said that as the generations get increased (from the third to fourth), the source of inoculum of Ganoderma gets more and escalates the disease to spread. Ganoderma attacks more and multiplies the numbers of palm oil plantation to be attacked.
The climate change also escalates the micro-climate adjustment to get Ganoderma more and more.
But Agus told Ganoderma disease should be controlled as soon as possible and be integrated. One of the controls could be through sanitation of inoculum source for it. “The sanitation of inoculum source for Ganoderma boninense and big hole technic should be the same with Trichoderma application,” he said.
Besides, many palm-oil seed producers develop seeds that may be durable to Ganoderma, such as what PPKS has been doing by producing DxP 540 NG. It is the descendant of SP540T which is the genetic material that has highly durability to Ganoderma in the field.
The cross that showed durability characteristic is claimed to be a moderate variety that is durable to Ganoderma. It is named DxP 540 NG (Decision of Minister of Agriculture of Indonesian Republic Number 641/Kpts/KB.010/10/2017). The phrase ‘NG’ stands for New Generation for Ganoderma.
Besides being durable to Ganoderma, DxP 540 NG has fresh fruit bunch (FFB) and yield which are good. In six years old, it could produce 35 tons FFB per hectare per year with the yield about 26,5 – 27,4%. The high yield happened for the mesocarp/FFB is high, that is, 84,5 – 87,5%.
Just like PPKS, the other palm oil seed producer, such as, PT ASD Bakrie Oil Palm Seed Indonesia does produce seeds that are resistant to Ganoderma. It was confirmed by the selected mother tree was resistant to it. “We confirm that the old dura and pisifera produced progeny DxP which is resistant to selected Ganoderma,” Rasidin Azwar, the researcher at PT ASD Bakrie Oil Palm Seed Indonesia, said.
By having many field research and tests at PT ASD Bakrie Oil Palm Seed Indonesia, the company eventually produced palm oil seeds that are resistant to Ganoderma. The seeds are named DxP Spring MR Gano and DxP Themba MR Gano.
Sinar Mas Agribusiness and Food does produce its own superior seeds to maintain genetic purity and reliable seed supplies. Through its subsidiary, PT Dami Mas Sejahtera, the company produced palm oil seed named Dura x Pisifera (DxP). It was the latest innovation from research and development team of the company. The variety is durable to Ganoderma diseases, fungus that causes stem base rot that minimizes palm oil productivity.
Mohd. Naim from PT Dami Mas Sejahtera said that the research and development team developed superior seed, DxP by having breeding experiments closely. The variety is resistant to Ganoderma named DxP Dami Mas IGR.
Asian Agri did the same. Tan Joon Sheong, the research team of Asian Agri told that field screening was about to get tolerant seeds to Ganoderma. It has been tested since 28 years ago. (T2)
