Dossier
Banana cultivation - Black Sigatoka and Panama Disease
Global banana production is under critical attack by widespread fungal diseases. There are two major causes: Panama disease and Black Sigatoka. This is a big problem, because bananas are a staple food for more than 400 million people in the tropics. They are the fourth most consumed food crop, the most consumed non-cereal staple food, and the most consumed fruit in the world.
The livelihoods of millions of people are at stake due to the Panama disease (Fusarium Wilt), caused by the Fusarium fungus, which wipes out banana plantations, contaminates soils for decades and cannot be suppressed. It is currently threatening banana production throughout South-East Asia.
The fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis causes Black Sigatoka, also a global problem. It is forcing banana producers to use more and more chemical pesticides, with all the attendant detrimental effects on the environment.
News
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Breakthrough in the fight against devastating banana diseases: first resistant plant developed
- Researchers led by Wageningen company KeyGene have developed a banana plant that is resistant to both Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) and Black Sigatoka, two of the most destructive diseases for bananas. Professor of Phytopathology Gert Kema at Wageningen University & Research was involved as an advisor. He views the development of the new hybrid, named Yelloway One, as a major breakthrough in banana cultivation: “We’ve known for some time that conventional breeding can help us develop plants resistant to these diseases. Now we’ve proven it, and more importantly, we’ve demonstrated that by using the latest genetic tools, we can do it much faster than others. This is of great importance for the future of banana farming.” -
Gert Kema awarded KNPV Prize 2024 for research on sustainable crop protection
- Researcher Gert Kema has been awarded the 2024 KNPV Prize by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Plantenziektekundige Vereniging (KNPV). The prize is awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of resilient crops. -
Organic banana growers do not escape Panama disease
- The Chira Valley in Peru – one of the main regions for the cultivation of organic bananas – is being seriously affected by the dreaded Fusarium wilt. Once this disease (also known as Panama disease) has established itself on a plantation, it takes decades before Cavendish bananas or any other banana varieties prone to Fusarium can be grown there again. Wageningen University & Research and its partners are therefore taking a multi-pronged approach to solving the problem, using rapid detection, new varieties and new cultivation methods. -
The crooked world of the banana in a book
- The banana is a typical example of modern food production. It is not only a successful but also a vulnerable crop. The new book De Banaan (The Banana) offers a glimpse into banana cultivation, the global trade and the future of this yellow fruit. WUR researchers Gert Kema, a professor of plant pathology, and Fédes van Rijn, a senior scientist of impact evaluation, value chains and food systems, edited the book. -
New banana disease is spreading and poses a threat to Africa's food security
- A new banana fungus is rapidly spreading across the globe. It hit Africa a decade ago, but now spreads, a genetic study conducted by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and Utrecht University reveals. They state that the disease poses a threat to Africa’s food security. Plant Pathology Professor Gert Kema and his colleagues sound the alarm. -
First Dutch bananas end up as cakes, vegan meat and lingerie
- Around 1,600 brand new bananas grown on Dutch soil were harvested yesterday in the greenhouse of Neder Banaan in Ede. In this greenhouse, researchers from WUR work together with Neder Banaan on new cultivation methods and banana varieties that contribute to more sustainable banana cultivation worldwide. The harvested Dutch bananas are used as an ingredient for banana cakes and a new speciality beer. But the trunk and the banana peels are not wasted either: the peels are made into a vegan meat substitute and the trunk fibres are processed into lingerie and transport pallets. -
New study shows decreasing effectiveness of fungicides to control the devastating Black Sigatoka disease of banana
- The fungus Pseudocercospora fijiensis causes black leaf streak disease or Black Sigatoka of banana, which is the most damaging leaf disease of bananas worldwide. An analysis of 592 P. fijensis isolates from seven banana-producing countries on three continents shows how P. fijensis is evolving to insensitivity to azole fungicides due to the heavy use of pesticides. -
Resistance genes identified to combat Panama disease in bananas
- Significant progress has been made in accelerating the development of banana varieties with resistance to the Fusarium fungus. Fusarium causes Panama disease, which destroys banana plantations around the world. Researchers at Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have now succeeded in identifying resistance genes in bananas to tackle the notorious soil fungus. The discovery of these genes paves the way for accelerating the breeding of resistant bananas without the need for lengthy and expensive phenotyping tests. -
WUR and KeyGene to contribute to African banana varieties resistant to Panama disease
- Wageningen University & Research (WUR), and KeyGene, both having their headquarters in the Netherlands, have joined the international research program Accelerated Breeding of Better Bananas (ABBB).
Projects
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Fusarium fungi in banana plants alter nearby and internal microbial communities
- As an important food and cash crop, bananas are affected by a myriad of biotic and abiotic stresses. Among them, different strains of Fusarium cause Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) that severely affects banana production worldwide. Increasing evidence indicates that the plant microbiome, confers fitness advantages to the plant host, including stress tolerance and resistance to pathogens. In order to detect the inherent reasons for this resistance, this project will focus on the analysis of the rhizosphere and endophytic microbiome of TR4-resistant banana and determines the core microbial community that affects the severity of FWB on banana. -
Combating banana disease through digital innovation
- The goal of this project is to use citizen science and ICT innovation to develop efficient, (cost-)effective and scalable tools for advancing the prevention and control of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) in East and Central Africa. Citizen science implies that normal farmers, extension providers or other people contribute to collecting, analysing, or interpreting data used for scientific purposes. -
PromoBanana
- PromoBanana provides banana growers in the Philippines with the means to rapidly detect the destructive Panama Disease and Black Sigatoka Disease and to keep them under control. The Philippines is one of the largest banana-exporting countries in the world.