Ganoderma orbiforme facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ganoderma orbiforme |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Ganoderma
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| Species: |
orbiforme
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Ganoderma orbiforme is a type of polypore fungus. You might hear it called G. boninense or just Ganoderma when people talk about diseases in oil palm trees. This fungus is found all over Southeast Asia. It's a plant pathogen, meaning it causes diseases in plants. Specifically, it causes a serious problem called basal stem rot in the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis).
A scientist named Elias Magnus Fries first described this fungus in 1838. He found it in Guinea. Later, in 2000, Leif Ryvarden moved it into the Ganoderma group of fungi. Besides Guinea, this fungus has also been found in the Bonin Islands in the Pacific, and in Venezuela and Puerto Rico.
How the Fungus Spreads
G. orbiforme doesn't grow directly in the soil. It also doesn't usually get into the palm tree roots from the soil itself. However, the fungus can live in dead pieces of palm tree trunks that are buried underground. This is especially true if the dead wood has been damaged by insects like the Asiatic rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros). So, old, infected palm material can be a source of the disease.
How the Fungus Attacks Palm Trees
Ganoderma orbiforme has a special way of attacking the African oil palm. It's like a tricky invader. When the fungus tries to get into the palm tree, the tree tries to fight back. The palm tree's roots start to produce something called salicylic acid. This acid is like a warning signal. It tells the tree to slow down its production of certain helpful chemicals.
These helpful chemicals usually clean up harmful substances inside the plant. But when the tree slows them down, it actually creates more of these harmful substances. This might seem strange, but it's the tree's way of trying to stop the fungus. This whole process was discovered by scientists in 2016.
Studying the Fungus's DNA
Scientists have developed special tools called microsatellite markers. These markers help them identify G. orbiforme and study its genetic diversity. By looking at the fungus's DNA, researchers can learn how different groups of the fungus are related. This helps them understand how the disease spreads and how to control it better.
