ISHS Acta Horticulturae 275: International Symposium on the Culture of Subtropical and Tropical Fruits and Crops
FUSARIAL WILT (PANAMA DISEASE) OF BANANAS: CURRENT STATUS AND CONTROL STRATEGIES |
| Author: | R.H. Stover |
| Abstract:
Fusarial wilt ceased to be a problem on dessert bananas exported from the tropics with the conversion to Cavendish varieties in the 1950s and 1960s. However, Cavendish varieties are widely attacked in subtropical Taiwan, Queensland and South Africa. Localized attacks occur in the Canary Islands, Mindanao and Jamaica. Variants attacking Cavendish bananas fall into diverse cultural groups and appear to have evolved in different locations. The Mindanao and Jamaica tropical strains are distinct from Race 4. East African strains of Fusarium oxysporum f. cubense attacking Ney poovan (AB) and Pisang awak (ABB) are distinct from Central America Race 1. Paradoxically, wilt has not evolved in Papua-New Guinea and the Pacific Islands where many different susceptible genotypes have been cultivated for centuries. Control strategies involve the use of suppressive soils, fallow systems and replacement of susceptible varieties with resistant genotypes - likely of inferior culinary quality. Conventional breeding shows little promise of producing a commercial variety because of the "tetraploid block". Non-conventional methods of manipulating genotypes are receiving increased support. | |
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