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Published Date: 2011-11-11 09:42:12
Subject: PRO/PL> Panama disease, banana - Philippines (02): (Mindanao)
Archive Number: 20111111.3337

PANAMA DISEASE, BANANA - PHILIPPINES (02): (MINDANAO)
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Fri 4 Nov 2011
Source: MindaNews [edited]
http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2011/11/04/task-force-to-probe-banana-disease-in-bukidnon/

Task force to probe banana disease in Bukidnon [Northern Mindanao]
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The Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) has composed a team of experts
on plant diseases to investigate media reports that a fungus called
_Fusarium oxysporum_ may have found its way to Bukidnon and has
infected about 1000 hectares [2500 acres] of banana plantations.

It could be the same fungus that contaminated some plantations in
Compostela Valley and most recently in Davao del Norte [Mindanao; see
ProMED-mail post 20111014.3072]. The fungus, also called Panama
disease, is resistant to fungicide. Bukidnon has around 20 000 to 25
000 hectares [50 000-60 000 acres] of land planted to banana.

[Provincial official] Jay Albarece cited that plantations employ
thousands of workers. "The outbreak of the dreaded disease in
Bukidnon's fertile plateaus is feared to bring unthinkable adverse
economic and social repercussions to the entire province and its
people," he said. "If the reports of the disease are true, the spread
should be immediately controlled," he added. The province is not ready
to face an employment crisis if industry players stop operations owing
to the disease.

[Byline: Walter I Balane]

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Panama disease of banana (PD, also called fungal or fusarium wilt) is
caused by the soilborne fungus _Fusarium oxysporum_ f.sp. _cubense_.
Symptoms include yellowing, wilting and streaking of pseudostem, and
affected plants die rapidly. The pathogen is spread by infected
planting material, mechanical means (including people and insect
activities), soil, and water. It can survive in the soil for decades,
and consequently crop rotation with non-hosts is not likely to control
the disease effectively.

Disease management for PD is difficult and mostly relies on
phytosanitation for pathogen exclusion. No effective chemical or
cultural control measures are available, and integrated approaches
have been developed (ProMED-mail post 20090419.1483) which may include
cultural practices, certified clean planting material, and biocontrol
agents. Breeding programmes and molecular techniques are being used to
develop crop cultivars with increased resistance to the different
fungal strains. Constant vigilance is required in areas where the
fungus is present to prevent flare-ups and recognise emerging new
strains.

Several races of the pathogen exist varying in host range. Cavendish
varieties (see links below), which include most of the bananas grown
in Mindanao and affected by the recent outbreak, are attacked by
temperate and tropical races 4, as well as a new strain of race 1
reported recently from India (ProMED-mail post 20101223.4510). It is
not clear which race(s) or strain(s) is/are causing the present
outbreak in Mindanao.

Our thanks go to Dr Kunihiko Iizuka for supplying 2 of the additional
news stories listed below.

Maps
Philippines:
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/lgcolor/phcolor.htm
and
http://healthmap.org/r/1quA
Philippine provinces:
http://www.silent-gardens.com/img/map-philippines_admin_93.jpg
PD worldwide distribution (2000):
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/elements/view.aspx?ID=208

Pictures of panama disease symptoms
On whole banana plants:
http://www.ishs.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/panama_disease.jpg
and
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/php/management/bananapanama/images/ploetz12lg.jpg
Affected pseudostems:
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/elements/view.aspx?ID=216 and
http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/images/3018.jpg
PD affected plantations:
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201001/r501587_2654835.jpg and
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/elements/view.aspx?ID=211
_F. o._ f.sp. _cubense_ culture:
http://www.ediblegeography.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Panama-Disease.jpg

Links
Additional news stories:
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2011/10/24/panama-disease-affects-157-hectares-186726,
http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=67&articleid=741262,
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=21&title=DA-regional-office-sets-up-task-force-to-contain-fungus&id=40217,
http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=57827, and
http://www.pbgea.org/uncategorized/887/
Information on panama disease (with pictures):
http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/php/management/bananapanama/,
http://www.nt.gov.au/d/Content/File/p/Fruit/IS27.pdf,
http://bananas.bioversityinternational.org/en/news-and-events-mainmenu-74/26-banana-news/87-panama-disease-a-renewed-threat-in-asia.html,
and
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/54710/
PD, historical background:
http://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/Pages/PanamaDiseasePart1.aspx
PD management and diagnosis:
http://www.ishs.org/news/?p=866
_F. oxysporum_ f.sp. _cubense_ taxonomy:
http://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=100056
Cultivars and hybrids of banana and plantain:
http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Musa.html
Information on banana varieties and cultivation via:
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/banana.html,
http://platforms.inibap.org/cultivars/, and
http://bananas.bioversityinternational.org/. - Mod.DHA]

See Also