PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk. (AALI) has introduced three new superior oil palm seed varieties that are resistant to Ganoderma disease, increasing the company’s total number of seed varieties to six. These new varieties were officially released after passing the Plantation Crop Variety Release Meeting conducted by the Directorate General of Plantation in Bogor on Thursday, May 16, 2025. The main advantage of these new varieties is their moderate resistance or tolerance to stem rot disease caused by the Ganoderma fungus.
Ganoderma is a significant threat to the palm oil industry, including farmers, because it is challenging to manage once a plant is infected. This disease leads to decay in the inner parts of the tree, ultimately causing the plant’s slow death. Such deterioration can hinder the national productivity of oil palm plantations. In 2020, Astra Agro successfully launched three flagship varieties—AAL Lestari, AAL Sejahtera, and AAL Nirmala—aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and productivity of palm oil plantations.
Five years later, Astra Agro has reintroduced superior seeds with various enhancements and advantages, namely DxP AAL Nirmala MRG, DxP AAL Lestari MRG, and DxP AAL Sejahtera MRG. Cahyo Wibowo, Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Astra Agro Lestari, noted that basal stem rot disease has rapidly developed in Indonesia, particularly in West Sulawesi and Sumatra.
“One of our initiatives to combat this disease involves researching and developing superior moderate Ganoderma-resistant seedlings, along with good technical practices that can yield high outputs,” he stated in a press release on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. As a holder of a Doctoral degree, Cahyo explained that this disease can quickly kill oil palm plants, leading to a drastic drop in the total plant population per hectare (SPH) and a significant decrease in Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) production. This necessity prompted the Research and Development (R&D) team at Astra Agro to upgrade previous superior varieties by incorporating resistance to Ganoderma.
Another critical advantage of these new varieties is their ability to prevent parthenocarpy, commonly known as “kempet fruit.” Cahyo mentioned that the latest varieties will not produce hollow fruit, thereby positively affecting overall productivity.
The new varieties also feature a balanced sex ratio, with female flowers constituting approximately 75% to 88% of the total number of flowers. This balance supports natural pollination without manual assistance. Despite the new advantages, these varieties retain the benefits of earlier versions, such as higher production of fresh fruit bunches (TBS) and increased oil content.
Cahyo stated that with the release of these three new varieties, Astra Agro aims to implement these seeds in its operational gardens, especially in areas endemic to stem rot. This approach will help minimize the risk of production loss due to the disease.
Ebi Rulianti, the Director of Plantation Seed Breeding at the Ministry of Agriculture, remarked that Astra Agro’s new seeds represent a significant breakthrough and innovation.
“The palm oil varieties DxP AAL Nirmala MRG, DxP AAL Lestari MRG, and DxP AAL Sejahtera MRG are deemed suitable for release because they offer a solution for managing basal stem rot disease caused by Ganoderma boninense,” he expressed.
According to Ebi, Astra Agro possesses a highly competent development and research team, as evidenced by their ability to release new seeds in a shorter time frame. Typically, developing new oil palm varieties with moderate resistance to Ganoderma can take 15 to 20 years.
AALI, part of the Indonesian Palm Oil Genome Consortium (KGSI), has made contributions to combat the plant disease. Ebi added that besides being resistant to Ganoderma, these three new varieties are also high-yielding and do not produce empty fruit bunches.
“In Indonesia, it’s confirmed that no land or soil is free from Ganoderma, so with the new variety released by Astra Agro, we hope the company and farmers can achieve optimal production. Best wishes to Astra Agro,” Ebi concluded.
