What is oil palm chlorotic ringspot virus disease?
In order to protect the Philippine coconut and oil palm industries, the Department of Agriculture has set quarantine measures to prevent oil palm diseases from contaminating oil palm seedlings. In an order issued by DA Secretary Domingo Panganiban, recent findings of the Plant Quarantine Service (PQS) revealed that imported oil palms were infected with a disease manifesting symptoms of chlorotic ringspot virus, a quarantine pest oil palm not present in the country. The disease is characterized by mosaic, mottling and ringspot leaf symptoms on young palms nurtured in the nurseries. Symptomatology and preliminary laboratory analysis indicated that the casual organism causing chlorotic ringspot on oil palm plants. Further laboratory tests have to be conducted to identify pathogen. Pending confirmation on the identity of the casual organism, the following phytosanitary measures are to be implemented to prevent the continuous introduction of infected planting materials and spread of the dis
