Enset Xanthomonas wilt (EXW), caused by Xanthomonas vasicola pv. musacearum (Xvm), severely impacts enset cultivation in the Ethiopian highlands. Controlled net trials demonstrated that healthy enset plants developed EXW symptoms after exposure to leafhoppers that continuously fed on Xvm-inoculated plants. Given the omnipresence of the leafhoppers in several of the studied enset-production landscapes, best management remains the timely and complete removal of all diseased plants, the use of disease-free planting materials, and clean garden tools, which in turn will also keep the risk of secondary leafhopper-vectored transmission at a minimum. Extension services should emphasize the increased EXW transmission risk in areas with high leafhopper populations as part of an integrated EXW management strategy.
Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of banana, can persist in the soil for extended periods as chlamydospores or endophytes in weeds, complicating control measures. This study explored the potential of the spent P. ostreatus substrates (SPoS) to suppress Foc R1 in a field. SPoS applications at planting and after every two months over an 8-month period did not significantly reduce leaf symptoms and corm damage.
While Pisang Awak, an important local variety, is known to be susceptible to both Fusarium wilt (Foc) Race 1 and TR4, recent field observations suggest a limited susceptibility of Pisang Awak to Foc TR4 in mixed cultivar plantation settings. Local farmers similarly reported observing reduced susceptibility, with several having already replanted TR4-affected Cavendish fields with Pisang Awak as part of their disease management strategy.
Recent sporadic of Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) merited a comprehensive field survey across the country. Combining the Rwandan survey with BBTD surveys in neighboring countries a BBTD probability model was developed for Rwanda, taking into account environmental, land-use/land-cover and socio-economic variables, from which a country-wide vulnerability map was compiled.
This Special Issue contains a selection of papers dealing with Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), with a special focus on the Fusarium strain Tropical Race 4 (TR4), and explores (1) options for effective integrated management strategies, (2) the …