FAO issues banana disease warning

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is warning
nations to step up monitoring, reporting and prevention of
Fusarium wilt, the world’s most destructive banana disease
that has in recent years spread from Asia to Africa and the
Middle East
According to FAO’s information brief, the TR4 race of the
disease, which is also known as Panama disease, poses a
serious threat to the production and exportation of bananas
across the globe with huge repercussions on value chains
and livelihoods.
TR4 has in recent years caused significant losses in banana
plantations in Southeast Asia and has recently been
reported in Mozambique and Jordan.
TR4 infects the Cavendish banana varieties, which
dominate global trade, as well as other susceptible varieties
used for local consumption and markets.
Banana is the eighth most important food crop in the world
and the fourth most important food crop among the world’s
least-developed countries.
Fusarium wilt is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum,
as the disease is soil-borne the fungus can remain viable
for decades.
The fungus enters the plant through roots and damages the
xylem vessels blocking flow of water and nutrients, leading
to the collapse of leaves and eventual death of the plants.
“Any disease or constraint that affects bananas is striking
at an important source of food, livelihoods, employment and
government revenues in many tropical countries,” said
Gianluca Gondolini, secretary of the World Banana Forum.
The forum, whose Secretariat is based at FAO headquarters,
promotes sustainable banana production and trade.
“The spread of Fusarium wilt banana disease could have a
significant impact on growers, traders and families who
depend on the banana industry,” Fazil Dusunceli, a plant
pathologist at FAO, said.
“Countries need to act now if we are to avoid the worst-
case scenario, which is massive destruction of much of the
world’s banana crop,” said Dusunceli.
According to FAO, nations should adopt risk assessment,
surveillance and early warning signs to the disease.
Phytosaninary measures should also be put in place to
prevent spread of the disease through irrigation and
drainage systems, transportation, vehicles, containers and
tools. Other measures should include quarantine, use of
disease –free materials, prevention of movement of infected
soil and planting materials in and out of the farm and
disnfection of vehicles.