STUDY OF IMPACT OF VASCULAR WILT ON FFB PRODUCTION IN OIL PALM

A trial set up in 1981 in a zone severely affected by vascular wilt, c aused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. elaeidis in oil palm, has been obse rved regularly for the appearance and persistence of disease symptoms since it was set up. Recording individual production figures for the o il palms from 1986 to 1992 made it possible to assess the impact of va scular wilt on the number of FFB produced and on their mean weight, ac cording to the different categories of symptoms observed: chronic, lat ent (revealed by sampling stem tissue) or temporary (cases of remissio n). Yields from oil palms with no symptoms of the disease are similar to those from healthy palms. The same goes for cases of remission, alt hough their production figures are discussed in this paper, according to the length of time the symptoms persisted.