Introduction

So far it is observed that only a few diseases are prevalent on oil palm in India. Among which, the important ones are mentioned below:

Stem wet root

Symptoms: 

Sudden death of spear leaves including the young expended fronds surrounding the spear.

Remaining fronds show yellowish discoloration and then rapidly wither and die. 

Sometimes the older leaves die first and the symptoms progress to the younger fronds.

Control:

Improvement in agronomic practices, providing drainage, avoid flooding of the field, etc. 

In order to prevent the spread of the disease, palms died due to the disease should be excavated and burnt 

Bud rot disease:-

Symptoms: 

Yellowing of the spear leaves which subsequently turns to brown. affected spear bends at the base and seen hanging down in the crown. 

The basal tissues of the spear completely gets rotted as a result it collapses and can casily be pulled out.

The rotten tissues emit offensive odour.

Continuous and un-checked rotting leads to total destruction of meristem and ultimately death of the palm.

Often the disease become rampant during the monsoon when the inoculum build up reaches high. 

Palms of all ages are prone to this disease.

Disease management:

It is possible to cure very effectively, if the disease is detected in the carly stages, i. c.; when the spindle starts showing symptoms of withering, yellowing and dropping down. 

The affected spear should be pulled out along with the decayed tissues. The affected tissues in the crown should be removed and drenched with fungicide solution, like carbendazim or thiram (0.1%). 

For treating advanced stage disease affected palms, first of all, the leaves surrounding the spear should be cut and the effected tissues of the meristem should be removed layer by layer till the fresh tissues are seen. 

Once the affected tissues are completely removed the exposed tissues of the apical bud should be cleaned and smeared with 1% carbendazim solution. The exposed portion should be covered with dried leaves or perforated polythene sheet.

Basal Stem Rot (Ganoderma):-

Symptoms: 

Withering, yellowing and orange discolouration of the leaves followed by necrosis on one side of fronds. 

Desiccated fronds drop or break at some point along the rachis. 

Appearance of light brown lesions/rotting of the bole at the stem base is characteristic symptom at the advanced stage of the disease. 

The infected palms appear suffering with malnutrition.

The disease produces dry rot of internal tissues at the base of trunk.

The roots become friable and disintegrate easily. 

The internal tissues turn into dry and powdery mass.

Control of the disease: 

There is a little hope of saving the affected palms as by the time symptoms are visible more than 50% of the basal stem tissues get affected. However, the disease progress can be checked by. 

Field sanitation: Removal and destruction of the dead and diseased palms in order to prevent the spread of the disease. 

Isolation of the diseased palms The palms in the early or middle stages of the disease should be isolated from the neighbouring palms by taking drenches of Im deep and 30 cm wide. 

Affected palm should be given 5 kg, of neem cake/year. 

The disease affected and apparently healthy palms should be treated with 10ml Calixin (tridemorph) or 10gsol (in 100ml of water) per palm through root feeding. Aureofungin 

Bunch rot :-

Symptoms: 

During the early stages of infection, strands of mycelium can be seen spreading over the bunch surface. 

In the later stage the mycelium grows over the fruit surface and penetrates into the mesocarp.

Mycelium development is profused particularly at the back of the bunch. 

The infected bunch becomes completely rotten and unfit for harvest.

Control: 

Sanitation: Before on-set of monsoon, crown cleaning by mans of removing the dead inflorscences, bunch stalks, aborted bunches, etc.; will help in reducing the inoculum buildup and harbouring of pathogen.

Chemical control: To check the spread of the disease and to eradicate the inoculum of the fungus, crowns of the infected palms should be thoroughly cleaned and sprayed with 0.1% carbendazim solution.

Conclusion

Effective disease management in oil palm cultivation is crucial for ensuring optimal yield and maintaining plant health. By implementing integrated pest management strategies, monitoring for early signs of disease, and using resistant varieties, farmers can significantly reduce the impact of diseases. Regular field inspections, appropriate use of fungicides, and maintaining good agricultural practices are essential components of a successful disease management plan. At Khethari Agri Tech Private Limited, we are committed to supporting oil palm growers with innovative solutions and expert guidance to help them achieve sustainable and productive farms.