MPOB and All Cosmos Industries Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of All Cosmos Bio-Tech Holding Corporation, successfully produced GanoEF biofertiliser for controlling and preventing Ganoderma disease in oil palm. GanoEF biofertiliser contains the endophytic fungus, Hendersonia GanoEF1 incorporated into inorganic and organic fertiliser as carrier.

The endophytic Hendersonia fungus was found to be a strong antagonistic against Ganoderma boninense in various laboratory and nursery studies. The Hendersonia fungus was isolated from the oil palm roots. Thus, it colonises oil palm roots and does no harm to the host plant. On the contrary, it has helped to improve oil palm crop performance against Ganoderma disease. Based on the nursery trial, seedlings treated with GanoEF biofertiliser showed a significantly lower percentage of disease incidence (DI), severity of foliar symptoms (SFS) and dead seedlings (DS) with 46.7%, 48.4% and 26.7% compared with the untreated seedlings 93.3%, 83.8% and 86.7% respectively. BSR disease incidence was reduced by 69.5% in seedlings treated with GanoEF biofertiliser compared with the untreated seedlings based on area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) value.

Field testing of the GanoEF biofertiliser to control Ganoderma disease was investigated through seedling baiting technique at two sites in Teluk Intan, Perak. After 36 months, only 5% dead palms due to Ganoderma infection were observed on seedlings treated with GanoEF biofertiliser (Table 3). About 83.3% (50 out of 60 palms) of the untreated seedlings were dead due to Ganoderma infection. Palms that succumbed were confirmed due to Ganoderma using the Ganoderma selective medium (GSM).