This document discusses coconut basal stem rot, a destructive disease caused by the fungus Ganoderma lucidum. It first infects the roots and lower stem, causing internal rotting and reddish brown exudation from the stem. Older palms over 10 years are most susceptible. Symptoms also include leaf yellowing and drooping, arrested flower development, and root decay. The disease is managed through removal of infected palms, avoiding flood irrigation near infected trees, root feeding with fungicides, and applying compost amended with Trichoderma fungi or neem cake. Basal stem rot is a major threat to coconut production in southern India.

1. COCONUT GANODERMA WILT
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
(Affiliated to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-3)
Kullapuram (Po),ViaVaigai Dam, Theni-625 562
COURSE TEACHER
Dr. PARTHASARATHY. S
Asst. Professor (Plant Pathology)
STUDENT
Miss. YAZHNI. P
ID. No. 2015021140

2. NAME OF THE DISEASE
 Tanjore wilt (Tamil Nadu)
 Ganoderma wilt (Andhra Pradesh)
 Anabe roga or Bole rot (Karnataka)
 Basal stem rot
 Foot rot

3. HISTORY
In India, the disease was first recorded in
Karnataka state during 1913 by Butler.
In Andhra Pradesh it was reported by Papa Rao
and Govind Rao in 1966 and by Satyanarayana
et al. in 1985.
In Tamilnadu, it was first noticed in Thanjavur
after the 1952 & 1956 cyclone (Vijayan &
Natarajan, 1972).

4. SIGNIFICANCE AND LOSSES
Basal Stem Rot of coconut (BSR) is the most
destructive disease accounting to severe yield loss
in southern parts of India.
The entire coconut gardens in the villages
(Thambikottai & Muthupet) of Tanjore has been
wiped out completely in 8-10 years.

5. OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
World Wide: India, Malaya, New Guinea,
Philippines and Sri Lanka.
In India: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Kerala, Maharastra, Odisha and
Gujarat.
Survey conducted in 1965 – 1966 revealed that
the disease was confined to coastal areas.
In 1978 the disease was noticed in all the
districts of Tamilnadu.

6. East Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh recorded
maximum disease incidence of 13.82%.
Hassan district of Karnataka recorded maximum
disease incidence of 7.46%.
Thanjavur district of Tamilnadu recorded the
maximum disease incidence of 6.5%.
In the endemic areas of Muthupet and
Thambikottai villages of Tanjore, the incidence is
as high as 31.4 per cent.

7. SYMPTOMS
The disease produces multiple symptoms on
roots, stem and crown.
Palms aged 10 years and older were more
susceptible to the disease than younger plants.
Identification of BSR disease is often confused
with stem bleeding of coconut. Peries et al.
(1975) presented a detailed description of the
symptomatology of the disease.

8. SYMPTOMS – ON STEM
• The first visible symptom of the disease is found on
the basal portion of the stem.
• Diseased palm shows exudation of reddish brown,
viscous liquid from the basal portion of the stem upto
3 metres.
• Discolouration of the stem and internal rotting are
commonly noticed upto the height of bleeding
(exudation).
• In advanced stages of basal stem rot the basal portion
of the stem decays completely.

9. SYMPTOMS – ON STEM

10. SYMPTOMS – ON STEM
• Some palms show wilting
symptoms without
external bleeding.
• The fructifications of the
fungus can be observed at
the base of the tree just
above the ground level in
diseased palms in the
advanced phase or in the
bark of dead palms.

11. SYMPTOMS – ON CROWN
• In diseased palms the
leaflets in the outer one or
two whorls show
yellowing and drooping.
• In advanced stage, the
remaining leaves droop
down in quick succession
except the spindle leaf.

12. SYMPTOMS – ON CROWN
• Under certain conditions,
buds show soft rot and
emit bad smell.
• In advanced, the crown
is blown off leaving the
decapitated stem.
• In the diseased trees
development of flowers
is arrested and button
shedding is common.

13. SYMPTOMS – ON ROOTS
• Decay and death of finer roots proceeds bleeding
symptoms.
• With the advancement of the disease rotting
spreads to other roots and may show rotting in
70% of the total number of roots.
• Production of new roots in a diseased palm is very
poor.
• Root rot was 42 to 75 % upto 60 cm soil depth
and 17 % at deeper layers.

14. SYSTEMATIC POSITION
Kingdom : Fungi
Division : Basidiomycota
Class : Agaricomycetes
Order : Polyporales
Family : Ganodermataceae
Genus : Ganoderma
Species : Ganoderma lucidum
Ganoderma applanatum

15. PATHOGEN
• In India the causal agent of basal stem rot of coconut,
Ganoderma lucidum was first recorded in Karnataka
State by Butler in 1913.
• Mycelium is hyaline, thin walled, branched with
frequent clamp connections.
• Chlamydospores are ellipsoid and slightly thick-
walled, may be terminal or intercalary and some
time found in chains.
• Fruiting body is perennial, stipitate, usually lateral
and sometimes sessile; it is corky at first and
becomes woody later. Hymenial surface is white
or cream at first and turns brown later.

16. Fruiting body - Basidiocarp

17. • Basidiospores are
thick-walled brown,
minutely verrucose,
truncated at one end.

18. FAVOURABLE CONDITION
• Older plants are more susceptible.
• Prolonged drought, high soil temperature.
• Low rainfall, extensive flooding, sandy or sandy
loam soils.
• Presence of hard pan in the sub-soil and neglected
gardens.

19. MODE OF SPREAD
• The spread is mainly through root contact (root
graft) between diseased and healthy palms.
• Uncontrolled flood irrigation in the entire field or
running irrigation channels along the palm rows
where diseased palms exist.

20. MANAGEMENT
Cultural Method
• Completely remove dead palms and palms in advanced
stage of the disease.
• Burn the boles and root bits of the palms.
• Isolate the affected palm from the healthy ones by
digging a trench of 1m deep and 50cm wide at 2.0m
away from the bole of the infected palm.
• Avoid flood irrigation or ploughing in infected gardens
to prevent spread of inoculums.

21. • Regularly irrigate basins during summer months
or conserve moisture by coconut husk burial.
• Avoid growing leguminous crops in and around
the garden.

22. Chemical Method
• Drench the basin with 40 litres of Bordeaux
mixture 1% or calixin 0.1% (1ml/ L) after soaking
soil, at quarterly interval for one year.
• Root feeding of 2 g Aureofungin-sol + 1g of
Copper sulphate in 100 ml of water or Calixin
2ml in 100 ml water at quarterly interval.

23. Biological Method
• Apply Trichoderma harzianum fortified in neem
cake /compost / vermicompost / other organic
wastes.
• Trichoderma harzianum with Phosphobacteria or
Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacter produces
synergistic effect.
• Apply 5 kg neem cake per palm per year.
• Add 50 kg farmyard manure or green leaves per
palm per year.