The influence of selected herbicides on basal stem rot development and injury symptoms on oil palm seedlings / Siti Hazlina Hussin

The effect of herbicides used in oil palm plantation was evaluated for the herbicidal potential to control basal stem rot (BSR) development in vitro, in vivo and their phytotoxicity on oil palm seedlings. Out of eleven different herbicides were selected and tested for inhibiting the radial growth of G. boninense by using a poison agar technique which is potato dextrose agar media were incorporated with the selected herbicides. The effect of herbicides on oil palm seedlings were tested on 12 months old oil palm seedlings in the nursery to evaluate the injury symptoms on the seedlings. Based on the percentage inhibition of radial growth G. boninense, the most effective herbicides are paraquat dichloride, diuron and monosodium methylarsenate. Results of phytotoxicity symptoms on oil palm seedlings showed that triclopyrbutoxyl ethyl ester has a potential to supress the BSR development, however the herbicide can cause injury to oil palm seedlings as compared to paraquat dichloride and glyphosate monoammonium. These findings suggested that paraquat, glyphosate monoammonium and glyphosate isopropylammonium have potential to reduce and inhibit the severity of BSR in oil palm and the usage of triclopyr butoxy ethyl ester should be reduced to avoids injury symptoms on oil palm.