Two new fungi species found causing oil palm tree rot
Amrutha Lakshmi M, Tarafder E, Indraja M, Kalyana Babu B, Subbanna ARNS
Plant Pathology
If you've ever wondered why a tree in a tropical plantation suddenly wilts and dies from the base up, this fungus is often the hidden culprit, and misidentifying it means farmers can waste years fighting the wrong enemy.
Researchers in India found that a nasty fungal disease killing oil palm trees from the roots up is actually caused by two fungi species nobody had identified before. They look and behave a lot like their known relatives, which is why they'd been missed, but DNA testing and lab experiments proved they're genuinely new to science.
Key Findings
Two novel Ganoderma species identified: Ganoderma pseudombrekobenum and Ganoderma indica, both linked to basal stem rot in Indian oil palm
Species were distinguished using combined morphology, pathogenicity/aggressiveness testing, laccase enzyme activity, and multi-locus DNA analysis (ITS, rpb2, tef1-α genes)
G. pseudombrekobenum is a sister lineage to G. mbrekobenum, while G. indica falls within the G. orbiforme species complex
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists discovered two brand-new fungal species in India that cause a destructive rot disease in oil palm trees, a finding that will help farmers and researchers identify and manage the pathogen more precisely.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Unveiling two new species of Ganoderma (Ganodermataceae, Basidiomycota) causing basal stem rot on oil palm from India.
Ganoderma is a major fungal pathogen causing basal stem rot (BSR) in oil palm, leading to significant yield losses. Owing to high morphological plasticity and complex speciation within the genus, t...
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