Phytosanitary considerations in the movement of oil palm germplasm
2006
Ritchie, Barbara | Flood, Julie | Holderness, Mark
The movement of germplasm from its center of origin brings an attendant risk of transfer of exotic pests. The term 'pest', as defined in the International Plant Protection Convention, ecompasses all harmful biotic agents ranging from viroids to weed. Under the right conditions, on entering a new environment these pests may become established and present a considerable threat to agriculture in the new host country. Pests infect not only their native hosts in the new environment but can all too easily colonise new hosts that have little or no resistance to the invader.Commercial oil palms within Southeast Asia have a very narrow genetic base (Rajanaidu, 1994) and breeders constantly strive to improve the productivity of the palms and the subsequent oil quality. Measures include the importation of germplasm (mainly as seeds) from centers of origin in West Africa (Elaeis guinensis) and South America (Elaeis Oleifera) but with each importation there is a potential risk of importation of a pest. Over 400 species of microorganisms and 287 insect pest and mites have been recorded in association with oil palm (Turner, 1981; Anon., 1978; Mariau et al., 1981) and of these, 19 mic-organisms and 100 insect species are know to cause economic constraints to the oil palm industry in countries where the organisms occur. The most potentially damaging threat to oil palms in Southeast Asia is the introduction of the causal organism of vascular wilt, Fusarium oxysporum Schlectendahl f. sp. elaeidis Toovey.Thus, rigorous phytosanitary principles and methods need to be applied when dealing with the importation of oil palm centers of origin and these principles and the attendant risks are outlined in this paper.
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