1H NMR metabolomic profiling of resistant and susceptible oil palm root tissues in response to Ganoderma boninense at the nursery stage

Oil palm plantations face serious challenges from Ganoderma boninense, a pathogen that causes basal stem rot (BSR), leading to significant productivity losses, with an estimated economic impact of 68.73%. Ganoderma spreads through direct root contact and airborne spores, affecting plantations across Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries. Understanding the mechanisms of oil palm resistance to Ganoderma is crucial for developing effective strategies. Metabolomic profiling, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, offers a promising tool for identifying and quantifying metabolic changes associated with Ganoderma resistance. This study, ¹H NMR was employed to analyze root tissues of resistant, susceptible, and control oil palm seedlings exposed to Ganoderma. The results indicated that PCA effectively differentiated resistant palms from susceptible ones, while PLS-DA identified 14 significant metabolites. Further analysis using OPLS-DA and ROC revealed that ascorbic acid, D-gluconic acid, D-fructose, and 2-oxoisovalerate could serve as potential biomarkers for screening resistant palms. The metabolites identified in this study hold considerable promise for supporting breeding programs to develop oil palm varieties with enhanced resistance to BSR.