Fusarium Wilt of Oil Palm: Transmission, Isolate Variation, Resistance

Abstract

The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is grown throughout the equatorial regions of the world including West Africa, South America and South East Asia and provides approximately 15% of the world’s vegetable oil. Up to 6 tonnes of oil per hectare per year can be obtained which far exceeds the yield of annual oil crops such as soya, but even within the best progenies, yields can still be improved (Jones 1983). Palm oil production from South East Asia, notably Malaysia, has continued to increase and the introduction of high yielding clonal material suggests even higher production in the future. In contrast, production in much of West Africa has fallen, due in part to diseases, of which the most serious is considered to be vascular wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis (Foe). Annual losses in some areas of ca 10% of palms have been attributed to the disease (Renard et al 1972).