JAKARTA – The oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia are facing an increasingly serious threat of fungal disease known as ganoderma or basal stem rot disease. Primarily caused by Ganoderma boninense, the fungal disease will lead to the rotting of the oil palm’s base and trunk that will then result in significant loss of yield and mortality of the plants. Its symptoms include formation of Ganoderma basidiocarps (mushrooms), internal tissue rot, and reduced production of palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB).
In Malaysia alone, the ganoderma fungus attack is predicted to potentially reduce the production of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) up to 60 percent per hectare. But in Indonesia there has been no yet such prediction.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) shows data from 1.46 million hectare of oil palm plantations surveyed last year that around 199,644 hectare, or 13.7%, had been infected by the Ganoderma. The most impacted areas of oil palm plantations include Johor, Sabah, Sarawak, Perak and Negeri Sembilan.
The total areas of Malaysia’s palm plantations reached 5.16 million ha. Academician from the University of Malaysia in Sabah, Chong Khim Phin said that a number of studies had predicted that the 1.0% increase in Ganoderma infection can reduce palm production at the percentage depending on the age of oil palm trees and density of infection.
“Within the harvest cycle of 25 years, it can result in production loss of FFB cumulatively at 15%–20% in the most impacted areas,” he was quoted by Reuters as saying recently.
M.R. Chandran, Chairman IRGA, described the Ganoderma attack as the second biggest worry for oil palm growers after the problem caused by the shortage of workers.
“The level of Ganoderma infection at around 14% in palm plantations can cause production loss of FFB at 20 to 60% per hectare, depending on the other conditions,” said Chandran.
In Malaysia peninsula, the young palm trees in replanting areas have high potential of infection as the infected old plants were not cleaned properly. Even the largest groups of growers in Malaysia, such as KLK and FGV are also facing the Ganoderma attack. Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad is also reported to have prevented in some areas and facing its impacts on palm plantations of around 287,354 hectares in Malaysia and Indonesia. Despite the fact, it is not yet certainly known about its level of severity and impacts.
In Indonesia
Also called the silent killer, the ganoderma attack in Indonesia’s oil palm plantations is reported to have reached an alarming level. Many researches have shown that the level of ganoderma infection in Sumatera alone had reached 39–52%.
The study of Petterson (2019) reported that the infection rate of Ganoderma at oil palm plantations in Kalimantan reached 19%; Java 30%; Sulawesi 10%; and Maluku-Papua 9%. It reported that the infection can reduce production of oil palm plantations up to 50-80%, and shorten the economic life span of palm trees up to 50%.
Patterson (2020) projected that without serious efforts to control the Ganoderma, within the next two cycles of replanting or around the year 2075 the oil palm plantation areas infected by the disease will be wider if compared to the plantation areas free from the disease. Such condition will certainly threaten the existence of national palm plantation areas , which have significantly contributed to the national resilience of food, energy, and Indonesian economy at local and national level.
PASPI (2025) in a journal titled “Innovations to Control Ganoderma In Oil Palm Plantations” emphasizes the importance of innovative synergy between national policy, institutions, and researchers on technologies to detect, prevent, and treat the disease. The more so, as the spread of Ganoderma no longer depends on boundaries and plant generations.
The disease has widely attacked the palm plantation areas across regions of Indonesia, from plantations owned by big private companies, to those owned by state-owned companies (PTPN), and to smallholders’ plantations. Even, the oil palm trees in a number of palm nurseries have been detected with the infection.
Early Detection Technology
The important thing in tackling the Ganoderma attack is its early detection. On this early stage, it can be prevented with existing innovative technology. Besides the existing innovative technology, the palm research grant as one of programs to reinvest palm oil fund managed by the plantation fund management board (BPDP) has also resulted in a variety of innovative technologies of early detections of Ganoderma infection.
One of the innovative technologies for early detection of Ganoderma developed with the research grant is eNose-G by Widiastuti et.al. (2020; 2022). The innovative technology eNose-G, especially the third generation, can differentiate plants that are early infected from the healthy ones, with the category of early stage, moderate and severe condition.
The use of early detection technology has the rate of accuracy, specifications and sensitivity more than 80%. It means, the oil palm trees not yet visible to naked eyes whether already infected or not, can be detected by eNose-G technology.
Then the Whulanza et.al. (2022; 2023) developed the technological innovation for Ganoderma early detection in the form of portable device. This technological innovation is a molecular detection device with miniaturization technology that enables early detection more practical and faster in its use so that it can be used directly in the plantation areas.
The research by Arif et.al. (2024) developed technological innovation of Ganoderma detection based on radar system of self injection locked (SIL). The radar is used to detect early signs of Ganoderma infection by monitoring the characteristics on the palm trees.
Along with development of robot-based technology, Shovitri et.al. (2024) also developed IFOVIB-G, which is robot-based technology combined with photons and vibration technology for early detection of Ganoderma infection on oil palm trees.
The four technologies can be used to detect at early stages whether the oil palm trees are already infected with Ganoderma or not. Detecting the disease at an early stage allows more effective control and tackling of Ganoderma in the palm plantations.
PASPI (2025) said the convergence of the four technologies of early detection can be combined to get most effective and efficient technology for early detection of the Ganoderma disease. (bst)
Sawitkita.id. Gawat, Tingkat Infeksi Ganoderma di Sumatera Capai 52%. https://sawitkita.id/gawat-tingkat-infeksi-ganoderma-di-sumatera-capai-52/.
