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Global food monitoring body the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned India about a destructive banana disease - Fusarium wilt - which recently spread from Asia to Africa and the Middle East. The disease has the potential to affect Latin American countries as well.
Although there is no fear of transmitting its virus into humans, disease may destroy banana output in India which has already hit a five year low in 2012-13. Banana is a common fruit, rich in nutrients and easily accessible to almost every individual of India.
Popularly known as tropical race 4 (TR4) or Panama disease, the disease is posing a serious threat to production and export of the popular fruit, with serious repercussions for the banana value chain and livelihoods, FAO said.
In plants affected by the disease, the leaves grow pale resulting into crop damage which also affects crop germination.
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.
"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.
| Turning pale: India's banana production | |
| Financial year | Output (mn tonnes) |
| 2012-13 | 23.26 |
| 2011-12 | 26.46 |
| 2010-11 | 27.91 |
| 2009-10 | 24.73 |
| 2008-09 | 25.07 |
| Source: National Horticulture Board | |
The Forum, whose Secretariat is based at FAO headquarters, promotes sustainable banana production and trade. Fusarium wilt is caused by the fungus Fusariumoxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc).
The disease is soil-borne and the fungus can remain viable for decades. Once the disease is present in a field, it cannot be fully controlled by currently available practices and fungicides. The best way to fight the disease is to prevent its spread, which includes avoiding movement of diseased plant materials and infected soil particles.
"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.
The disease was first reported in Panama, Central America, from there it moved to other regions through different races. Tropical Race 4, the most devastating, is present in Asia and recently has been reported in Mozambique and Jordon. There is a potential threat that Fusarium TR4 will also affect other countries in all producing / exporting regions including India, FAO's Gianluca Gondolini said.
"We need to raise awareness of this threat, coordinate efforts among countries and institutions for effective implementation of appropriate quarantine measures, and also work with banana producers, traders, plantation employees and small holder farmers to help to minimize the spread of the disease," Dusunceli said. He also highlighted the importance of research in better understanding the disease and developing alternative varieties that are disease resistant.
FAO's information note stresses the importance of using disease-free seedlings and avoiding movement of infected soil and planting materials into, and out of, farms, through transportation, visitors or other means.
"A concerted effort is required from stakeholders including the industry, research institutions, governments and international organizations to prevent spread of the disease," the note reads.
The banana crop is vulnerable to a number of diseases in various parts of the world, including the Black Sigatoka disease, Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) and Fusarium Wilt, but Fusarium's soil-borne nature makes it especially challenging.
Among the solutions include implementation of phytosanitary measures to prevent the spread of the disease through agricultural practices, irrigation and drainage systems, transportation, vehicles, containers, tools or visitors. Preventive measures, including quarantines, the use of disease-free planting materials, prevention of movement of infected soil and planting materials into and out of farms, and disinfection of vehicles, capacity building in National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) in planning, extension and research, including the use of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools.
