Banana Diseases and Treatment

1. Banana Leaf Spot

Banana leaf spot also known as Sigatoka and caused by the fungus Cercospora musae, it occurs throughout the world and is one of the most destructive diseases of banana. It causes losses by reducing the functional leaf surface of the plant, which results in small, unevenly ripened bananas that fail to ripen and may fall.

Symptoms:

The disease first appears as small, light yellow spots parallel to the side veins of leaves. A few days later, the spots become enlarge in size and turn brown with light gray centers. Such spots soon enlarge further, the tissue around them turns yellow and dies, and adjacent spots coalesce to form large, dead areas on the leaf. Rapid drying and defoliation of mature leaves are the characteristic feature of this disease.

Solution

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2. Banana Freckle Disease

Short distance spread of banana freckle occurs as fungal spores are dispersed from infected banana plants and debris by rain splash and wind-blown rain. Moisture is essential for spore dispersal. Long distance spread occurs through the movement of infected fruit and infected leaves.

Symptoms:

Fungal infection and disease symptoms can occur on both young and old leaves. Two types of leaf spot symptoms have been described.

One type of leaf spot consists of very small (less than 1 mm) dark brown to black spots mainly on the upper surface of the leaf giving the leaf a sooty appearance. Spores develop from these spots and protrude slightly making the surface of the leaf feel rough.

The second type of spotting is characterised by larger (up to 4 mm in diameter) individual dark brown to black spots. These spots may have grey centres and can aggregate to form large blackened areas or streaks with yellowish green haloes.