Positive findings from Ganoderma Research


In 2018, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) undertook preliminary research on the impact of cattle grazing under oil palm, specifically on soil fertility, oil palm productivity and the spread of Ganoderma.

In 2018, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) undertook preliminary research on the impact of cattle grazing under oil palm, specifically on soil fertility, oil palm productivity and the spread of Ganoderma. Their research showed that after a minimum of 15 grazing cycles, productivity of oil palms at one plantation had improved by 5 to 12%, which bodes very well for SISKA commercial viability.

Further good news was that in laboratory conditions Ganoderma was found not to spread in the presence of cow dung. Ganoderma spores were also killed by the acidic conditions in the rumen of cattle. These results indicate that Ganoderma is unlikely to be spread by cattle ingesting sporulating fruiting bodies, which was an ongoing concern of many in the palm oil sector.