OIL - CLiPS

Disease outbreaks are the result of an interplay between multiple factors. These factors are context specific and tend to evolve over time. There are no linear cause effect relations leading to simple solutions. Research needs therefore to combine different disciplines addressing different factors simultaneously. The objective is not to kill the pathogens but rather preventing the pathogens to lead to disease outbreaks. In the context of Colombia a bud rot resistant oil palm variety (OxG) has been developed and planted in different locations. This variety differs in many aspects from the common Elaeis guineensis. Key questions are therefore the following. What would be the simulated yield of this resistant variety under climate change conditions. How does the pathogen and the disease evolve under different management and climate conditions. Which collective or individual management practices are needed to prevent breaking of the resistance and/or preventing outbreaks leading to large yield losses. When would it still be economically sensible to cure a diseased palm. To what extend are co-infections occurring. In the context of Indonesia there is not yet a basal stem rot resistant variety. Disease incidence particularly increases from one oil palm cultivation cycle to the next. Questions resonate around the following: Which factors are contributing to the development of the disease. What could be the effect of climate change? What is the effect of new practices such as oil palm intercropping, cattle integration, and agroforestry as well as use of oil palm residues or cover crops on disease development and spread. Will it be possible to contain the pathogen by affecting the soil microbiome and if so how? What is the current knowledge and practice of farmers and local authorities affecting the pathogen spread and the disease outbreaks and what are the associated costs? Organisation: The research asks for an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, in each of the two oil palm producing countries and at Wageningen University researchers of the four following disciplines are participating in the core program: phytopathologist, social scientists/economist, agronomist/farming systems expert, climate scientist/crop modeller. Additional expertise from animal sciences and agroforestry are already aligned. The actual research will be executed by several PhD students per country which are supervised by staff of at least two disciplines of Wageningen University and one staff member of one of the disciplines in the respective country. Location: he program has chosen Indonesia, the largest palm oil producer, and Colombia the 4th producer worldwide as countries to act as examples for the continents. This does not exclude work in other countries such as Malaysia, Brazil etc.