Oil palm diseases in the Llanos (Eastern Zone) and Tumaco (Western Zone): cogollo rot, lethal wilt and bud rot : Report on visit with Cenipalma 19-24 november 2007.
Two african oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) growing regions of Colombia, the Llanos (Eastern Zone) and Tumaco (Western Zone), were visited during the week of 19 November 2007. While a number of plant diseases were present in both locations, two disease situations were the primary focus of this visit. A lethal vascular wilt disease, more than likely caused by a phytoplasma, is occurring in the Llanos, whereas a lethal bud rot, probably caused by a fungus, is occurring in the Tumaco region. Both diseases are natural biological disasters in progress, with the situation in Tumaco being the more serious of the two at this time. The lethal bud rot in Tumaco is an agronomic disaster (extensive decline and death of African oil palms), an ecological disaster (massive release of carbon into the environment as he dead oil palms degrade), a financial disaster (palm oil production declines as palms die) and a sociological disaster (loss of oil palms equates to loss of jobs in the region that then ripples through society with serious consequences). While the lethal vascular wilt disease in the Llanos is not currently as severe as the lethal bud rot in Tumaco, the potential for a similar massive decline of African oil palms in the Llanos should not be discounted. In all probability, the lethal bud rot disease in Tumaco is a repetition of the plan pathological disaster that destroyed the La Arenosa oil palm estate in the Turbo region of northern Colombia in the late 1960s/early 1970s and more recently destroyed oil palm plantations in Suriname, Brazil and Ecuador. Oil palm growers in Tumaco, both the large plantations and the approximately 3000 small oil palm growers (who represent about half of the 35000 hectares of oil palm plantings in Tumaco), would be wise to learn from these previous epidemics. The plant pathology literature regarding bud rot in Central and South America indicates that replanting with African oil palm on these affected plantations was not successful, with the disease occurring on the new plantings within a year. However, the Americal oil palm (Elaeis oleifera) and interspecific hybrids between E. oleifera x E. guineensis that were present on the affected plantations appeared to be tolerant to the lethal bud rot. There is preliminary evidence that this may also be true in Tumaco. Preliminary results indicate that E. oleifera and the interspecific hybrids also may be tolerant to the lethal vascular wilt disease currently occurring in the Llanos (and which will likely spread to all regions of Colombia). I firmly believe that currently available interspecific hybrids should be the initial focus of an integrated disease management program for Tumaco. For the future, a diverse germ plasm collection and breeding program must be developed for long-term disease management purposes to develop interspecific hybrids tolerant to these diseases. At the same time, research is needed to determine the exact cause of each disease, determine vectors or carriers of the pathogens, determine alternate hosts of the pathogens and insect vectors/carriers, and examine cultural and biological management programs for both diseases. This requires the development of a strong, interdisciplinary team of researchers. As the management programs are developed, this information must be extended beyond the large plantations to the small holders of oil palms.
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | ng |
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Fort Lauderdale : University of Florida. Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. Department of Plant Pathology,
2007
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| Subjects: | Palma africana, Aceites vegetales, Control biológico de plagas, |
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