The Effect of Mounding Technique on Soil Properties, Root Development, and Physiological Response of Oil Palm Infected with Ganoderma

Authors: Muhdan Syarovy, Sumaryanto Sumaryanto, Syarul Nugroho, Valdi Muhamad Rafiansyah Siregar, Eka Wijayanti | Year: 2025 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/stjssa.v22i2.94443

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Ganoderma boninense, the pathogenic fungus causing Basal Stem Rot (BSR), is the greatest threat faced by oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations in Southeast Asia. This disease not only kills the tree slowly but also damages the vital root system before external symptoms become apparent. This is where the mounding technique, piling soil around the base of the trunk, emerges as a promising management approach, although its mechanism of action on infected plants is not yet fully understood.

This study systematically compares the responses of infected and non-infected oil palm plants to mounding treatment. The research team measured changes in the physical and chemical properties of the soil in the mound area, the development of adventitious roots growing from the buried area, and various physiological indicators of the plant, from photosynthesis rates, stomatal conductance, to leaf chlorophyll content. Data were collected at several time intervals to understand the dynamics of these changes.

The results obtained show that the mounding technique provides real benefits in both plant conditions. In non-infected plants, mounding encourages the formation of more adventitious roots and increases water and nutrient absorption capacity, which ultimately reflects better physiological performance. In plants infected with Ganoderma boninense, mounding helps maintain the plant’s physiological functions longer by providing a new root zone free from fungal infection in the upper soil layer.

The following is a summary of the factors studied, their roles, and their levels of influence.

Factor	Role in Research	Condition / Context	Level of Influence	Specific Findings
Mounding Technique	Main agronomic intervention evaluated, mounding soil around the base of the trunk to stimulate new root growth	Applied to plants infected with Ganoderma and healthy plants as a comparison	Very High	In infected plants: extended productive lifespan and maintained physiological function longer. In healthy plants: promoted more adventitious roots and increased nutrient uptake
Ganoderma boninense	Fungal pathogen causing Basal Stem Rot (BSR), damaging the root system before external symptoms are clearly visible	Attacks the roots and base of oil palm trunks at various plant ages in Southeast Asia	Very High	The greatest economic threat to oil palm plantations in Southeast Asia. Infection is difficult to detect early because damage begins underground before the tree shows signs of wilting or death
Adventitious Roots	New root system growing from the mounded area, becoming an active absorption zone free from fungal infection	Grows in the upper soil layer resulting from mounding, far from the infection center at the base of the trunk	Significant	Key mechanism of mounding: the plant can rebuild its root capacity in an uninfected zone, replacing damaged roots
Photosynthesis Rate	Indicator of plant physiological performance reflecting the plant’s capacity to produce energy and biomass	Measured at several time intervals after mounding treatment, during dry and rainy seasons	Significant	Mounded plants maintained a more stable photosynthesis rate compared to controls without mounding, especially in infected plants
Stomatal Conductance & Chlorophyll	Dual indicator of water status and photosynthetic capacity, reflecting overall plant physiological health	Measured simultaneously with photosynthesis rate for a comprehensive physiological picture	Limited	Both parameters showed improvement with the development of adventitious roots after mounding, confirming the connection between root condition and leaf performance

This finding is highly relevant to plantation practitioners as it offers a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-implement management strategy. Although mounding is not a cure for Ganoderma, this technique can extend the productive life of infected trees and reduce short-term economic losses.

Do you have questions about this research or similar experiences in your plantation? Write in the comment column, we’re happy to discuss.

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