Non-chemical control of Black Sigatoka Disease

THE National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) intends to use a fungus and botanicals and biological fungicides to assess its efficacy in the control of the Black Sigatoka Disease (BSD).
Black Sigatoka disease is caused by the fungus, Mycosphaerella fijiensis, is a disease which affects banana and plantain plants and is responsible for widespread damage to crop vegetative material and reductions in plant yields. The disease contaminates neighbouring healthy plants and as it progresses to advanced stages, destroys large green areas of the leaf resulting in premature falling of leaves and ripening of fruits.

The fungus currently being used in these experiments has been very effective in controlling other harmful fungal outbreaks on crops, particularly on sugar cane. This fungus was tested on BSD in Brazil and was found to be effective in the control of the disease. As such, tests are being done to assess its success in Guyana.
Biological fungicides are also showing positive results in the control of this disease. Experiments have shown that there was a lower disease incidence and higher bunch weight for those plants treated with the biological fungicides compared to those treated with the chemical fungicides.

Integrated Pest Management methods have also been used as a way to decrease BSD in plantain and banana suckers. Proper sanitation, fertilization, nutrition, irrigation, and rotation of fungicide work together to achieve a lower disease index and increased bunch weight.
NAREI is working towards the utilization of less chemicals and more organic materials in the control of diseases, making crop production cheaper, healthier, and safer for consumption by the general population.

Plantains are normally grown on a large scale in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and 10. In the past six years BSD has led to a decline in plantain exported from Guyana. Prior to the outbreak of Black Sigatoka in 2009, about 1,457 Mt of plantain was exported between 2004 and 2008. In 2009 to 2011 only 501Mt was exported. However, within the last three years the export market started to grow from zero export to about 31 Mt, mainly due to good management practices that were employed during this period. Last year’s production was in excess of 130 000 tons.

In addition, the Food and Agriculture Organization reported a 100% decline in exports of bananas from Guyana in 2012 owing to affected plants bearing smaller bunches and underweight fruit which ripen prematurely, making them unsuitable for export.

Management of the disease is usually done through the application of available contact and systemic fungicides several times a year. This is not only expensive but has environmental and food safety implications due to the contamination and residual effects the chemicals have on food and water sources. It is imperative to adopt an integrated approach to managing Black Sigatoka disease, which can possibly entail reducing the frequency of chemical fungicide applications and replacing them with non-chemical alternatives.

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