Secamiento foliar progresivo or SFP is a disease Recorded in the late 90s in oil palm plantations in some municipalities of the department of Magdalena. This problem causes a gradual deterioration of plants, and general symptoms caused can be confused with those induced by other sanitary problems. In three crops, the symptoms of disease were characterized with objective to differentiate SFP of other diseases, and so, we can get necessary information for taking the best decision about management of the SFP. Internals and externals symptoms were characterized; were determined evolution of leaves symptoms per days and percentage of roots affected. Externals symptoms were evident only on leaves and they occurred gradually and descendant direction; they were observed initially on leaves levels second, showed yellow zones in any part of foliage similar to a band, but with initiation on apical leaf; after, leaves showed increase of size of yellow bands, and reddish shade and necrotic tissues. A severity scale was adjusted for evaluating external symptoms on leaves, with five levels. The development of foliar symptoms required a greater number of days in the upper levels that the lower levels leaves. In the same order, a greater number of days were necessary for the symptoms evolved from grade 1 to 2 than grade 2 to 3 and 3 to 4, respectively. As the leaves mature, the foliar symptoms are more severe, allowing infer that the problem is progressive and is the result accumulated permanent damage in roots of the plants. In plants with foliar symptoms grade 2, the percentage of damaged roots was 58% on average; those roots showed rotten and rusty zones and roots splited in two or more sites