Integrated management of bud rot and lethal wilt diseases of oil palm in Colombia

Hector A., . and Mauricio A., . and Cristian N., . and Andre D., . and Martinez G., . and David G., . (2011) Integrated management of bud rot and lethal wilt diseases of oil palm in Colombia. [Proceedings Paper]

Bud rot and lethal wilt are the two most important diseases of oil palm in Colombia. Bud root wiped out more than 30.000 hectares in South-West Colombia during the last epidemic strike in 2002-2010. Lethal wilt started in 1994 in the East zone plantations and has affected near one thousand hectares. As a result of these diseases palm oil production has decreased drastically with the corresponding social impacts on stability and welfare of palm growers. Recently Cenipalma identified Phytophthora palmivora as the causal agent of bud rot disease and also discovered Myndus crudus Cixiidae as the insect vector of lethal wilt disease. These findings were used to develop an integrated management control program for these two diseases which are described in this paper. The management of bud rot starts with the planting of materials with a high degree of resistance to the disease such as the hybrids of Elaeis oleifera and E. guineensis. It is also necessary to keep a close look to palms in the nursery to eliminate as early as possible diseased plants and to avoid using systemic fungicides to prevent masking the symptoms of the disease. Once the plantlets are ready to be transplanted to the field it is recommended to apply systemic fungicides to protect the young palms. Disease monitoring must be continued in the field until all infected palms in early stages of development are eliminated. Thereafter any plant diagnosed with bud rot must be submitted to surgery in order to remove all the affected tissue. After surgery the wound must be protected by applying a fungicide- bactericide-insecticide solution mix. The first ring of palms around the affected palm must also be sprayed. The procedure is repeated weekly or every other week depending on weather conditions till it is clearly recognized that new and healthy leaves have appeared. Palms which do not recover from the treatment must be eradicated. Treatment of palms affected by bud rot in experimental fields have shown a 95 recovery which resulted in a reduction of accumulated incidence from 22 to less than 2 in a period of 18 months. Similar results have been recorded in commercial plots. Management of lethal wilt disease has been directed to the control of Myndus crudus with the application of two insecticides Imidacloprid 1 cc/L or Carbosulfan 2cc/L. It is also necessary to eradicate grasses within the field that hosts the nymphs of theinsect vector. All palms that develop lethal wilt symptoms must be eradicated as soon as possible and the ring of surrounding palms must also be treated with insecticides. With these treatments it was possible to reduce the development of the disease. Each time that the development rate ofthe disease was higher than 0.030 units/year the management of the disease was more difficult. It is necessary to adopt the proposed integrated disease management control programs for these two diseases at regional level to have an effective control of them.

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Abstract

Bud rot and lethal wilt are the two most important diseases of oil palm in Colombia. Bud root wiped out more than 30.000 hectares in South-West Colombia during the last epidemic strike in 2002-2010. Lethal wilt started in 1994 in the East zone plantations and has affected near one thousand hectares. As a result of these diseases palm oil production has decreased drastically with the corresponding social impacts on stability and welfare of palm growers. Recently Cenipalma identified Phytophthora palmivora as the causal agent of bud rot disease and also discovered Myndus crudus Cixiidae as the insect vector of lethal wilt disease. These findings were used to develop an integrated management control program for these two diseases which are described in this paper. The management of bud rot starts with the planting of materials with a high degree of resistance to the disease such as the hybrids of Elaeis oleifera and E. guineensis. It is also necessary to keep a close look to palms in the nursery to eliminate as early as possible diseased plants and to avoid using systemic fungicides to prevent masking the symptoms of the disease. Once the plantlets are ready to be transplanted to the field it is recommended to apply systemic fungicides to protect the young palms. Disease monitoring must be continued in the field until all infected palms in early stages of development are eliminated. Thereafter any plant diagnosed with bud rot must be submitted to surgery in order to remove all the affected tissue. After surgery the wound must be protected by applying a fungicide- bactericide-insecticide solution mix. The first ring of palms around the affected palm must also be sprayed. The procedure is repeated weekly or every other week depending on weather conditions till it is clearly recognized that new and healthy leaves have appeared. Palms which do not recover from the treatment must be eradicated. Treatment of palms affected by bud rot in experimental fields have shown a 95 recovery which resulted in a reduction of accumulated incidence from 22 to less than 2 in a period of 18 months. Similar results have been recorded in commercial plots. Management of lethal wilt disease has been directed to the control of Myndus crudus with the application of two insecticides Imidacloprid 1 cc/L or Carbosulfan 2cc/L. It is also necessary to eradicate grasses within the field that hosts the nymphs of theinsect vector. All palms that develop lethal wilt symptoms must be eradicated as soon as possible and the ring of surrounding palms must also be treated with insecticides. With these treatments it was possible to reduce the development of the disease. Each time that the development rate ofthe disease was higher than 0.030 units/year the management of the disease was more difficult. It is necessary to adopt the proposed integrated disease management control programs for these two diseases at regional level to have an effective control of them.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Selangor Malaysia. SB608 O27M939 2011 Call Number.
AGROVOC Term:	Oil palm
AGROVOC Term:	Integrated disease management
AGROVOC Term:	Plant diseases
AGROVOC Term:	Wilts
AGROVOC Term:	Phytophthora palmivora
AGROVOC Term:	Myndus crudus
AGROVOC Term:	Pathogens
AGROVOC Term:	Disease control
AGROVOC Term:	Disease eradication
AGROVOC Term:	Disease treatment
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:16
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/13689

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