Comparative analysis of fungal communities in oil palm leaves with leaf spot diseases and fungicide efficacy against key pathogens

Xian Zhe Oong; Najah Syahiratun; Nurul Fadhilah Marzuki; Yit Kheng Goh; You Keng Goh; Tasren Nazir Mahamooth.

Transactions on Science and Technology, 12(1), Article ID T121OA3, pp 1 - 15.

Back to main issue

ABSTRACT
An unknown leaf spot disease was reported in the nursery of an oil palm estate. A study was conducted to isolate and identify the potential causal agents and to screen the efficacy of different fungicides in suppressing the isolated fungal genera under in vitro condition. Disease symptoms were recorded, and healthy and diseased leaflets were collected from the estate’s nursery for microbe community analysis. The leaflets were subjected to genomic DNA extraction for Illumina MiSeq sequencing to determine the fungal community in the samples. Additionally, sterilised leaflets were cut and placed on Rose-Bengal chloramphenicol (RBCA) agar for isolating fungal cultures. The DNA of fungal isolates were then extracted, sequenced, and compared with the database using BLAST program. MiSeq sequencing revealed that there were significantly higher relative abundances of Curvularia sp. (38.53 %), Colletotrichum sp. (14.19 %), and Thermoascus sp. (4.79 %) in diseased leaflets compared to healthy leaflets. Different fungicides were screened at the recommended rates using poison food agar assay to test their efficacy in suppressing the potential causal agents. Mancozeb 80% WP (0.188%), propineb 70% WP (0.300%), difenoconazole 23% + propiconazole 23% EC (0.100%), difenoconazole 23% (EC) (0.050%), and prochloraz manganese chloride 50% WP (0.100%) gave 100% mycelial growth inhibitions of Curvularia oryzae isolate and two Colletotrichum sp. isolates. This study provides insights into the effective fungicides for controlling leaf spot diseases in oil palm nurseries.

KEYWORDS: Awareness; Plastic pollution; Microplastic pollution; Correlation; Recycling



Download this PDF file

REFERENCES
  1. Alimon, A. R. 2004. The nutritive value of palm kernel cake for animal feed. Palm Oil Developments, 40(1), 12-14.
  2. Anuar, M. A. S. S. & Ali, N. S. 2022. Significant oil palm diseases impeding global industry: A review. Sains Malaysiana, 51(3), 707-721.
  3. Anderson dos Santos Vieira, W., Alves Bezerra, P., Carlos da Silva, A., Silva Veloso, J., Paz Saraiva Câmara, M. & Patrick Doyle, V. 2019. Optimal markers for the identification of Colletotrichum species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 143, 106694.
  4. Azeez, A. A., Esiegbuya, D. O., Lateef, A. A. & Asiegbu, F. O. 2024. Mycobiome analysis of leaf, root, and soil of symptomatic oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) affected by leaf spot disease. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15, 1422360.
  5. Corley, R. H. V. & Tinker, P. B. 2015. The Oil Palm (5th edition). Oxford: Blackwell Science.
  6. de Assis Costa, O. Y., Tupinambá, D. D., Bergmann, J. C., Barreto, C. C. & Quirino, B. F. 2018. Fungal diversity in oil palm leaves showing symptoms of Fatal Yellowing disease. PloS ONE, 13(1), e0191884.
  7. de Oliveira, T. B. & Rodrigues, A. 2019. Ecology of Thermophilic Fungi. In: Tiquia-Arashiro, S. M. & Grube, M. (Eds.). Fungi in Extreme Environments: Ecological Role and Biotechnological Significance, Cham: Springer. pp 39-57.
  8. Deploey, J. J. 1999. Temperature and nutritional requirements of Thermoascus aurantiacus. Journal of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science, 72(2), 68-72.
  9. Elliott, M. L. 2005. Leaf spots and leaf blights of palm (https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document? repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=f84534ccc0e46b4f0c61c818fb62d7b904fede14). Last accessed on 1 November 2024.
  10. Fávaro, L. C. d. L., Sebastianes, F. L. d. S. & Araújo, W. L. 2012. Epicoccum nigrum P16, a sugarcane endophyte, produces antifungal compounds and induces root growth. PloS ONE, 7(6), e36826.
  11. Febriani, A. V. & Kasiamdari, R. S. 2023. Identification of Curvularia eragrostidis (Henn.) JA Mey. the leaf spot pathogen of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and it’s control by false elder (Peronema canescens Jack) leaf extract. International Journal of Oil Palm, 6(2), 25–34.
  12. FRAC (Fungicide Resistance Action Committee). 2024. FRAC Code List©* 2024: Fungal Control Agents Sorted By Cross-resistance Pattern and Mode of Action (Including Coding for FRAC Groups on Product Labels) (https://www.frac.info/docs/default-source/publications/frac-code-list/frac-code-list-2024.pdf). Last accessed on 14 November 2024.
  13. Gholve, V. M., Sawade, B. R., Kalpande, H. V. & Das, I. K. 2018. Efficacy of new fungicides and bioagents against grain mold fungi. Journal of Mycopathological Research, 56(1), 41-49.
  14. Hernández-Navarro, E., Agustín-Maravilla, G. Á., Sánchez-Rangel, J. C., Valadez-Ramírez, P. & Chan-Cupul, W. 2023. In vitro evaluation of biological fungicides against Curvularia eragrostidis, a phytopathogenic fungus of pineapple crop. Mexican Journal of Phytopathology, 41(1), 93-111.
  15. Islam, M. T. 2022. Current status and future prospects of Cladosporium sp., a biocontrol agent for sustainable plant protection. Biocontrol Science, 27(4), 185-191.
  16. Ismail, S. I., Zulperi, D., Norddin, S. & Ahmad-Hamdani, S. 2017. First report of Neopestalotiopsis saprophytica causing leaf spot of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) in Malaysia. Plant Disease, 101(10), 1821-1822.
  17. Kittimorakul, J., Pornsuriya, C., Sunpapao, A. & Petcharat, V. 2013. Survey and incidence of leaf blight and leaf spot diseases of oil palm seedlings in Southern Thailand. Plant Pathology Journal, 12(3), 149-153.
  18. Kittimorakul, J., Petcharat, V. & Chuenchitt, S. 2014. Chemical and biological control of Curvularia oryzae leaf spot of oil palm. Songklanakarin Journal of Plant Science, 1(1), 39-47.
  19. Kushairi, A., Singh, R. & Ong-Abdullah, M. 2017. The oil palm industry in Malaysia: Thriving with transformative technologies. Journal of Oil Palm Research, 29(4), 431-439.
  20. Latz, M. A. C., Jensen, B., Collinge, D. B. & Jørgensen, H. J. L. 2018. Endophytic fungi as biocontrol agents: Elucidating mechanisms in disease suppression. Plant Ecology & Diversity, 11(5-6), 555-567.
  21. Mekhilef, S., Siga, S. & Saidur, R. 2011. A review on palm oil biodiesel as a source of renewable fuel. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15(4), 1937-1949.
  22. Mohamed-Azni, I. N. A., Sritharan, K., Ho, S.-H., Roslan, N. D., Arulandoo, X. & Sundram, S. 2022. Isolation, identification and pathogenicity of fungi associated with leaf blotches in Tenera x Tenera (TxT) variety of oil palm in Malaysia. Journal of Plant Pathology, 104, 167-177.
  23. MPOB (Malaysian Palm Oil Board). 2024. Nursery Leaf Spot Diseases (http://sawitsecure.mpob.gov.my/nursery-leaf-spot-disease/). Last accessed on 21 November 2024.
  24. Murphy, D. J., Goggin, K. & Paterson, R. R. M. 2021. Oil palm in the 2020s and beyond: Challenges and solutions. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience, 2(39), 1-22.
  25. Nasehi, A., Sathyapriya, H. & Wong, M. 2020. First report of leaf spot on oil palm caused by Phyllosticta capitalensis in Malaysia. Plant Disease, 104(1), 288.
  26. Nongmaithem, N. & Rebika, T. 2019. Screening of fungicides against leaf spot of turmeric caused by Colletotrichum capsici. The Pharma Innovation Journal, 8(12), 12-14.
  27. Parveez, G. K. A., Leow, S.-S., Kamil, N. N., Madihah, A. Z., Ithnin, M., Ng, M. H., Yusof, Y. A. & Idris, Z. 2024. Oil palm economic performance in Malaysia and R&D progress in 2023. Journal of Oil Palm Research, 36(2), 171-186.
  28. Peng, K., Pan, Y., Tan, T., Zeng, X., Lin, M., Jiang, S., Zhao, Z., Tian, F. & Zhao, X. 2022. Characterization and fungicide sensitivity of Colletotrichum godetiae causing sweet cherry fruit anthracnose in Guizhou, China. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13, 923181.
  29. Priwiratama, H., Wiyono, S., Hidayat, S. H., Wening, S. & Tondok, E. T. 2024a. Identification and characterization of Curvularia, the causal agent of leaf spot disease of oil palm seedlings in Indonesia. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences - in press.
  30. Priwiratama, H., Wiyono, S., Tondok, E. T., Hidayat, S. H., Wening, S., Wijayanti, E. & Rozziansha, T. A. P. 2024b. Genus Curvularia and Pestalotiopsis as the primary pathogen of leaf spot disease on oil palm seedlings throughout Indonesia. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1308, 012018. 14-16 March, 2023, Bali, Indonesia.
  31. Ramani, V. N., Davara, D. K., Anadani, V. P. & Detroja, A. M. 2015. Evaluation of fungicides, botanicals and biocontrol agents against banana antharcnose disease under in vitro condition. International Journal of Plant Protection, 8(2), 228-233.
  32. Schoch, C. L., Seifert, K. A., Huhndorf, S., Robert, V., Spouge, J. L., Levesque, C. A., Chen, W. & Consortium, F. B. 2012. Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as a universal DNA barcode marker for fungi. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(16), 6241-6246.
  33. Shanthiyaa, V., Saravanakumar, D., Rajendran, L., Karthikeyan, G., Prabakar, K. & Raguchander, T. 2013. Use of Chaetomium globosum for biocontrol of potato late blight disease. Crop Protection, 52, 33-38.
  34. Sunpapao, A., Chairin, T. & Ito, S.-I. 2018. The biocontrol by Streptomyces and Trichoderma of leaf spot disease caused by Curvularia oryzae in oil palm seedlings. Biological Control, 123, 36-42.
  35. Susanto, A. & Prasetyo, A. E. 2013. Response of Curvularia lunata the causal agent of oil palm leaf spot disease to various fungicides. Jurnal Fitopatologi Indonesia, 9(6), 165-172.
  36. Turner, P. D. & Bull, R. 1967. Diseases and Disorders of the Oil Palm in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Incorporated Society of Planters.
  37. Witfeld, F., Begerow, D. & Guerreiro, M. A. 2021. Improved strategies to efficiently isolate thermophilic, thermotolerant, and heat-resistant fungi from compost and soil. Mycological Progress, 20(3), 325-339.
  38. Xu, J. 2016. Fungal DNA barcoding. Genome, 59(11), 913-932.
  39. Yue, H.-M., Wang, M., Gong, W.-F. & Zhang, L.-Q. 2018. The screening and identification of the biological control fungi Chaetomium spp. against wheat common root rot. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 365(22), PMID: 30289449.
  40. Zhang, G., Wang, F., Qin, J., Wang, D., Zhang, J., Zhang, Y., Zhang, S. & Pan, H. 2013. Efficacy assessment of antifungal metabolites from Chaetomium globosum No.05, a new biocontrol agent, against Setosphaeria turcica. Biological Control, 64(1), 90-98.