ProMED
http://www.promedmail.org

Source: FreshPlaza [summ. Mod.DHA, edited]
https://www.freshplaza.com/latin-america/article/9678333/philippines-strengthens-support-for-banana-industry-against-panama-disease/

Panama disease, a significant threat to banana production, has impacted approximately 17 000 hectares of Philippine bananas. In response, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is offering assistance for farm rehabilitation. DA is also promoting research for developing Panama disease-resistant banana varieties, with field trials underway across various regions, including Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon.

Further support for small-scale banana farmers includes assistance in obtaining Philippine Good Agricultural Practices certifications and providing biological controls to prevent infestation. The DA plans to increase budget allocation for funding tissue culture centers for quality banana planting materials production. Additionally, DA is assisting fusarium wilt-affected farmers in diversifying their crops to include Hass avocados and durian.

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Communicated by:
ProMED

[Panama disease of banana (PD, also called fungal or fusarium wilt) is caused by the soil-borne fungus _Fusarium oxysporum_ (previously f. sp. _cubense_). Symptoms include yellowing, wilting and streaking of pseudostems; affected plants die rapidly. The pathogen is spread by infected planting material, mechanical means (including human and insect activities), soil and water.

Disease management for PD is difficult and mostly relies on phytosanitation for pathogen exclusion. The fungus can survive in the soil for decades; consequently, crop rotation with non-hosts is not likely to control the disease effectively. No effective chemical or cultural control measures are available. Integrated approaches have been developed (ProMED post 20090419.1483), which may include cultural practices, certified clean planting material and biocontrol agents such as _Trichoderma_ species (e.g., ProMED post 20160317.4102576 and see link below). Breeding programmes and molecular techniques are being used to develop crop cultivars with increased resistance or tolerance to the different fungal strains. Constant vigilance is required in areas where the fungus is present to prevent flareups and recognise emerging new strains.

Several races of the pathogen exist, varying in host range. Cavendish banana varieties (cultivars within the _Musa_ AAA group, see links below) replaced the original eating varieties (such as Gros Michel) because they are resistant to the original fungal strain. They include most of the current commercial eating bananas. Cavendish-affecting strains, such as temperate (subtropical) and tropical races 4 (TR4), as well as a new strain of race 1 (ProMED posts 20210105.8075029, 20101223.4510), have emerged since from Asia and Oceania.

TR4, in particular, is of great concern worldwide; development of TR4-resistant cultivars has become a top priority for many national banana industries (see previous ProMED posts in the archives). TR4 has now been reported in the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Philippines) and the Americas. Taxonomic revision of TR4 as a separate species is being debated.

Pictures
PD symptoms on banana:
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0018/51345/5243-Jeff-Daniells-Fus-Wilt-TR4.JPG and
https://breedingbetterbananas.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/1024_TR4-Collage-1024x475-881x409.jpg
PD-affected plantations:
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0006/168918/Fusarium-wilt-external-symptoms-Suzy-Perry.JPG,
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/09621faae32c6b454b538b57a3641204?width=1024 and
https://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201001/r501587_2654835.jpg
_F. o._ f. sp. _cubense_ culture:
https://www.ediblegeography.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Panama-Disease.jpg

Links
Information on Panama disease:
https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/php/management/bananapanama/,
https://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/php/review/2005/panama/ and
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2013-08-29/feature-banana/4922208
Information on race TR4:
https://phys.org/news/2018-04-path-panama-disease-fungus.html,
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2018.00457,
https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/pests-diseases-weeds/plant/identify/panama-disease-tropical-race-4 and
https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/biosecurity/plant/health-pests-diseases/a-z-list-of-emergency-plant-pests-and-diseases/panama-disease
FAO emergency project for TR4:
https://www.fao.org/tr4gn/taskforce/en/ and
https://www.freshfruitportal.com/news/2019/10/07/fao-launches-emergency-project-to-combat-banana-disease-tr4/
_F. oxysporum_ taxonomy and synonyms:
https://www.indexfungorum.org/Names/NamesRecord.asp?RecordID=218372 and
https://www.speciesfungorum.org/Names/SynSpecies.asp?RecordID=218372
Information on _Trichoderma_ species and use as biocontrol agents:
https://biocontrol.entomology.cornell.edu/pathogens/trichoderma.php
Cultivars and hybrids of banana and plantain:
https://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Musa.html and
https://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Musa-cvs.html
- Mod.DHA]