Screening microbe producing chitinase for inhibiting Ganoderma boninense

Abstract

Ganoderma boninense is a serious fungal disease called basal stem rot (BSR) in oil palm plantation where the microbial ecosystem has been destroyed it could thrive and occupy the space that was created by sterilizing the soil. Infections by Ganoderma spp. begin their attack in the palm roots and gradually spread to the bole of the stem where they cause dry rot, which prevents absorption and transport of nutrients. Chitinoloytic microbes when in contact with chitin secrete an enzyme called chitinase to mainly degrade the chitin and utilize it as an energy source. The enzyme chitinase inhibits fungal growth by hydrolyzing the chitin present in the fungal cell wall resulting in inhibition of further progress of the fungi. There has been a lot of interest in this biological process because of its potential to be an agent for the biological control of plant disease and for engineering plants for resistance to phytopathogenic fungi by inducing the systemic resistance. Nine potential chitinase isolated from soil were tested for inhibit Ganoderma boninense. Based on the observations, it is the one isolate can inhibit the growth of Ganoderma boninense with activity of 0.02 U/mL.