Backgrounds Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), is the most significant and highest-yielding crop among oil-producing crops worldwide. In 2020/2022, Basal stem rot (BSR) disease was observed in six oil palm growing Districts in Ghana. Methods Field study and laboratory analysis were conducted. A random sampling technique was used to select five plantation blocks from each District. Single-point disease assessments were done using Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with a severity scale of 0-4. Molecular assays were performed on each sample using nucleic acid as a template. ITS and GanET sequence analysis were performed along with the formation of a phylogenetic tree using the FASTA algorithm with the Fungus database from EBI and NCBI GenBank. Koch’s postulate was followed to confirm the disease. Results The disease incidence was 11.3 % with the highest severity score of 4. BSR is characterised by stem decay large-perennial, woody brackets basidiocarps of average measurement of 2-65 cm in diameter on infected palms. Culture colonies were white, striated, undulating, woolly-cottony, and creamish pigment on the reverse depicting attributes of Ganoderma fungus. Molecular confirmation was done by combining ITS sequence of top matches of >97% to members of the genus Ganoderma, >98% and 99.3% identity to three sequences of Ganoderma sp. (HM138671; HM138670 and HM138672) generated from strains assigned to Ganoderma ryvardenii and compared with 132 published sequences of Ganoderma isolates. Conclusion This is the first report of Ganoderma ryvardenii causing BSR disease on oil palm in Ghana and possibly the second report in Africa. However, the pathogen was first reported to cause similar diseases in oil palm in Cameroon.

Backgrounds Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), is the most significant and highest-yielding crop among oil-producing crops worldwide. In 2020/2022, Basal stem rot (BSR) disease was observed in six oil palm growing Districts in Ghana. Methods Field study and laboratory analysis were conducted. A random sampling technique was used to select five plantation blocks from each District. Single-point disease assessments were done using Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with a severity scale of 0-4. Molecular assays were performed on each sample using nucleic acid as a template. ITS and GanET sequence analysis were performed along with the formation of a phylogenetic tree using the FASTA algorithm with the Fungus database from EBI and NCBI GenBank. Koch’s postulate was followed to confirm the disease. Results The disease incidence was 11.3 % with the highest severity score of 4. Basal Stem Rot (BSR) is characterised by progressive stem decay coupled with the formation of large, perennial, woody basidiocarps. The average measurement of 2-65 cm in diameter on infected palms. Culture colonies were white, striated, undulating, woolly-cottony, and creamish pigment on the reverse, depicting attributes of Ganoderma fungus. Molecular confirmation was done by combining the ITS sequence of top matches of >97% to members of the genus Ganoderma, >98% and 99.3% identity to three sequences of Ganoderma sp. (HM138671; HM138670 and HM138672) generated from strains assigned to Ganoderma ryvardenii and compared with 132 published sequences of Ganoderma isolates. Conclusion This study presents the first report of Ganoderma ryvardenii causing BSR disease on oil palm in Ghana, potentially the first in West Africa, and second in Africa. Notably, the pathogen was previously first reported to cause similar disease on oil palm in Cameroon, highlighting its emerging threat to oil palm production in the Sub-Saharan African region.

The genus Burkholderia encompasses both plant pathogenic and beneficial species, yet the genomic determinants underlying this lifestyle divergence remain poorly understood. Using 16S rRNA sequencing of 100 rice cultivars, our companion study demonstrated that resistant varieties are enriched in beneficial Burkholderiaceae, leading to the isolation of three phenotypically contrasting strains. Here, we present comparative genomic analyses of non-pathogenic biocontrol strain Burkholderia vietnamiensis J14EpLeaf2 and pathogenic strains Burkholderia gladioli A1EpSeed5 and Burkholderia cepacia J14Eple. Pathogenic strains possess significantly larger genomes (8.36–8.46 Mb) enriched in mobile genetic elements compared to the streamlined 6.95 Mb genome of B. vietnamiensis. CAZyme analysis revealed broader repertoires of glycoside hydrolases and polysaccharide lyases in pathogens, consistent with enhanced plant cell wall degradation. B. gladioli possesses a complete T3SS and expanded T6SS with 301 predicted effectors, while B. cepacia lacks structural T3SS genes but harbors 271 candidate effectors predicted to be secreted via alternative secretion pathways, compared to 180 in B. vietnamiensis. Notably, B. cepacia harbors cystic fibrosis-associated markers (cable pili, ZmpA/ZmpB), raising significant biosafety concerns that preclude its agricultural application. LC-MS validated IAA, ornibactin, and AHL production in B. vietnamiensis, supporting its plant growth-promoting and biocontrol functions. Computational PPI networks predicted distinct interaction landscapes requiring experimental validation. This study provides a genomic framework for distinguishing pathogenic from beneficial Burkholderia and supports B. vietnamiensis as a safe biocontrol agent while cautioning against B. cepacia J14Eple.