Panama wilt of banana

Dr G ARJUNAN Former Professor of Plant Pathology Tamilnadu Agricultural University Coimbatore 641 003 INDIA

Panama disease/Panama wilt /Fusarium wilt of banana

Panama wilt is one of the most devasting diseases of banana crop in the world. It was first recorded from Australia in 1874. The disease has been reported from Costa Rica, Hawaii, India, Jamaica, Panama, South America, Surinam and West Africa. In many countries banana trade was affected because of the widespread occurrence of this disease. In India, Panama wilt was first reported from Chinsurah in 1911 and then it became widespread in Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala and TamilNadu. Its distribution and extent of damage in other states are not exactly known although occurrence from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal especially where cultivars of Rasthali group, namely, Rashale, Amritpani, Malbhog and Martban are grown. Symptoms: The fungus blocks the vascular system and causes wilting. The infected plants show characteristic yellowing of leaf blades developing as a band along the margin and spreading towards midrib. The leaf wilts and the petiole buckles. The leaf hangs between the pseudostem while the middle of lamina is still green. All the leaves collapse whereas the petioles join the pseudostem and die. The emerging heart leaf is also affected. After four to six weeks, only the pseudostem remains, with dead leaves hanging round it. The pseudostem may show longitudinal splitting of the outer leaf bases above the soil level. Young and old plants may show dwarfing or stunting. When an affected rhizome is cut transversely, the disease is seen localized in the vascular strands. Individual strand appears yellow or red or brown dots or streaks . The cut stem smells like rotten fish. The plants from suckers growing out of diseased corms wilt and the whole plant dies. Fungus: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (E.F.Smith) Snyder and Hansen. Mycelium is white or tinted rose and violet. Microconidia are hyaline, ovate or elongate, 0 to 1- septate and measure 5 to 7 x 2.5 to 3.0 mm. Macroconidia are borne on conidiophores of 70 mm long or on the surface of sporodochia. Macroconidia are spindle-shaped, tapered at each end, pedicellate and 3septate. They measure 27 to 66 x 3.5 mm. Chlamydospores are terminal or intercalary, isolated or in chains. They are oval or globose. Three races are known to exist. Mode of spread and survival: The pathogen is soil-borne. It survives in soil as chlamydospores for longer periods. The primary spread of the disease is through infected rhizomes and secondary spread is through irrigation water. Continuous cultivation results in build up of inoculum. Epidemiology: Light textured loam and sandy loam with an acid reaction favours the disease development than silt loam with an alkaline reaction. Infestation of the burrowing nematode, Radopholus similis predisposes the plant for infection.

Management: Planting resistant varieties like Rajavazhai, Peyladen, Moongil, Poovan, Vamanakeli are recommended for planting. Susceptible varieties like Gros Michel, Monthan Karpooravalli and Rasthali should be avoided. Infected plants should be removed and destroyed. After removal and destruction of affected plants with the rhizome, the pits have to be treated with lime at 1 to 2 kg/pit. Banana shouldn't be cultivated for 3 or 4 years in the infected fields. Rice or sugarcane can be grown in rotation to reduce the disease. Healthy planting material should be obtained from disease free areas and used for new planting. Improvement of drainage is also recommended. Flood fallowing for 6 to 24 months has also been found as an effective method of reclaiming infested soils. When the disease is noticed in early stage itself chemical control will be effective. Capsule application is done 2, 4 and 6 months after planting by filling the capsules with carbendazim 50 WP at the rate of 60 mg per capsule. In each plant one capsule is applied to the hole made at an angle of 45 diagonally in the diseased corm. The capsule may be filled with the biocontrol agent, Pseudomonas fluorescens at the rate of 60mg/capsule instead of filling the capsule with carbendazim. If the capsule is not available, the hole may be filled with 3 ml of 2 per cent carbendazim solution. Vapam 0.01 per cent or thiram 0.15 per cent as soil drench and dipping of suckers in carbendazim 0.1 per cent solution before planting followed by bimonthly soil drenching starting from six months after planting gives good control. Since the burrowing nematode predisposes the wilt incidence, control of this nematode will minimize the wilt disease. For this, pare the corm, dip the corm in clay slurry and sprinkle 40g of carbofuran 3G over the corm.