Development & Aid, Environment, Tierramerica

Banana Diseases

Mar 3 2003 (IPS) - The banana is a crucial fruit for human beings. But the production of this food — essential for hundreds of millions of people around the world — is faced with the serious threat of plagues, particularly the black sigatoka fungus and Panama disease.

These diseases could dramatically hurt the production capacity of some banana varieties that are highly popular among consumers if a formula is not found to keep them from spreading. Researchers are delving into areas like genetic manipulation and cross-pollination to produce resistant banana hybrids, and biological control of pests.

But what is the story behind these plagues? On the Internet there is abundant information about the topic. It is a matter of the future of the banana.

Even if you are not a regular eater of bananas, there are at least 500 million people who depend on this fruit — particularly in Africa and Asia — as their main source of protein. On the commercial scale, the banana is the most popular and most consumed fruit in the world, says the author of the web site Banana split.

There, too, it is noted that the two principal threats are Panama disease, caused by the fusarium oxysporum fungus that attacks the banana tree's vascular system, and black sigatoka, caused by Mycosphaerella fijiensis.

Panama disease is a major plague on banana plantations around the world, causing great losses in revenues, particularly in normally high-production areas like Central America.

Black sigatoka, a disease that causes spots on the banana tree leaves, dramatically reduces the leaf's photosynthesis, cuts fruit yields by as much as 50 percent and causes premature aging, a serious problem for fruit destined for export