A group of researchers that consist of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mazliham Mohd Su’ud of Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Dr. Idris Abu Seman of Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), and Prof. Dr. Patrice Boursier, Prof. Dr. Pierre Loonis, and Mathieu Girard of Universite de La Rochelle, France had conducted a work since 2006 to develop a technology capable of detecting early Ganoderma infection in oil palm, called as GanoSken Tomography.

The Ganosken Tomography was officially introduced to public during the Transfer of Technology Seminar officiated by The Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok on 17 June 2010, at MPOB Head Office, Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor.

The GanoSken tomography is a non-invasive tool designed for assessing oil palm stem decay and degradation due to Ganoderma infection. The equipment consists of a sound sensor and a tomography software.
The sound sensors are installed around a circumference of oil palm stem. A grid of sound lines, made from the time of flight of manual knocking sound propagation from one point to another, are detected and collected by the sensors. The sound lines are segmented into different colours, which indicate different conditions.

The complete tomography image gives the user complete information on the internal condition of oil palm stem and enables the user to perform necessary control treatments as early as possible before any Basal Stem Rot (BSR) external visual symptom appears.

Basal Stem Rot (BSR) disease caused by Ganoderma, a basidiomycete fungus, is a serious problem on oil palm production in coastal soils in Malaysia, with disease spread increasing in intensity on inland, lateritic and peat soils. The survey on the disease conducted in Malaysia including Sabah and Sarawak, indicated in June 2009, about 53% (471) of the oil palm estates were affected with the disease and affected oil palm areas of 3.02% (40,600 ha). Yield losses due to Ganoderma disease is estimated about RM 1.078 billion in 2009.

GanoSken offers capability to acquire in situ decision making process where the operator is capable to directly detect and estimate size of Ganoderma infection in oil palm stem. This will enable infected oil palm to be controlled at the early stage of the Ganoderma infection thus avoiding further damage in oil palm.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mazliham (left). Looking on (centre) the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities,Tan Sri Bernard Dompok

GanoSken Tomography researchers

Reported by,
Zainal Abidin Jantan
CRPS