Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. canariensis has caused the death of hundreds of Canary Island date palms, Phoenix canariensis, in Sydney where they have been used prominently in landscape plantings. The fungus is spread in soil, by transplanting palms and on contaminated pruning implements and possibly by seed, birds and insects. Vegetative compatibility groupings (VCGs) were u...

The establishment of baseline IUCN Red List assessments for plants is a crucial step in conservation planning. Nowhere is this more important than in biodiversity hotspots that are subject to significant anthropogenic pressures, such as Madagascar. Here, all Madagascar palm species are assessed using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, version 3.1. Our results indicate that 83% of the 19...

A 50 years old male patient to referred to our clinic for multiple hard diffused lesions on palms, plantars and penis. The Genesis of the problem goes back to 10 years earlier. The lesions appeared first on the soles and gradually new lesions appeared on the palms and eventually on the penis, so that stretching and contraction of the fingers and toes has become painful. During the last 6 years,...

Detection of basal stem rot (BSR) by Ganoderma of oil palms was based on foliar symptoms and production of basidiomata. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays-Polyclonal Antibody (ELISA-PAB) and PCR have been proposed as early detection methods for the disease. These techniques are complex, time consuming and have accuracy limitations. An ergosterol method was developed which correlated well with t...