title: Following basal stem rot in young oil palm plantings.
abstract: The PCR primer GanET has previously been shown to be suitable for the specific amplification of DNA from Ganoderma boninense. A DNA extraction and PCR method has been developed that allows for the amplification of the G. boninense DNA from environmental samples of oil palm tissue. The GanET primer reaction was used in conjunction with a palm-sampling programme to investigate the possible infection of young palms through cut frond base surfaces. Ganoderma DNA was detected in frond base material at a greater frequency than would be expected by comparison with current infection levels. Comparisons are made between the height of the frond base infected, the number of frond bases infected, and subsequent development of basal stem rot. The preliminary results suggest that the development of basal stem rot may be more likely to occur when young lower frond bases are infected.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK. g.panchal@bbk.ac.uk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panchal
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Bridge
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D028023:Arecaceae; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D032902:Ganoderma / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer