BANANA :- pests and diseases author:- Divya vogoti

Pests and diseases of Banana

identifying pests and diseases early can help you to better control and manage them. Pests and diseases that affect the banana industry are listed below.

Pests 

• Banana rhizome weevil: Cosmopolitus sordidus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

• Banana stem weevil: Odoiporus longicollis Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

• Banana leaf eating caterpiller: Spodoptera litura Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

• Banana aphid: Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

• Banana thrips:

• Rust thrips: Cheatanophothrips signipennis Bagnall (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

• Leaf thrips: Helionothrips kadaliphilus Ramak (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

• Flower thrips: Thrips florum Schumtz (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

• Banana leaf and fruit scarring beetle: Nodostoma (Basilepta) subcostatum Jac. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

• Banana lacewing bug: Stephanitis typicus Distant (Hemiptera: Tingidae)

Diseases

• Panama wilt: Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (E.F.Sm.) W.C.Snyder & H.N. Hansen

• Mycosphaerella leaf spot:

• Yellow sigatoka: Mycosphaerella musicola R. Leach ex J.L. Mulder

• Black sigatoka: Mycosphaerella fi jiensis Morelet

• Anthracnose: Colletrotrichum musae Green & Goos, Gloeosporium musarum Cke. & Massee

• Tip rot or bacterial soft rot: Erwinia carotovora (Jones) Edward

• Banana bunchy top disease (BBTD): Bunchy top virus or Banana virus - 1 or Musa virus–1

• Banana bract mosaic virus: Banana bract mosaic virus (BBMV; potyvirus)

• Banana streak disease (BSV): Banana streak virus (Badna virus)

• Infectious chlorosis: Cucumber mosaic virus (Cucumovirus)

Banana aphid( Pentalonia nigronervosa) :-

Deformed plants with curled, shriveled leaves; if infestation is severe, galls may form on leaves; colonies of aphids usually present in crown of plant at base of pseudostem or between the outer leaf sheaths; aphid is soft-bodied and red-brown to almost black in color.Cause

Insect:- Colonies are often tended by ants; populations can build rapidly during warm weather.

Management

Chemical control does not provide protection against transmission of Banana bunchy top and direct feeding damage is not usually severe enough to warrant spraying; insecticidal soaps can help control aphid populations; plants infected with bunch top should be removed and destroyed to prevent spread.

Banana skipper( Erionota thrax)

Usually larvae feed on leaves. Typically the feeding involves incising and rolling up of leaves.The insect also attacks coconut and other palm species. The pest is common in Southeast Asia and Pacific islands.

Management :-

Encourage and release natural enemies to check the population of skippers. Hand pick the larvae and kill them.

Banana weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) :-

Reduced plant growth; reduced fruit production; tunnels may be visible in corm as rounded holes up to 8 mm in diameter; plants wilting and toppling over; destruction of root system; plant death; adult insect is a hard-shelled beetle which is almost black in color; adult is commonly found between leaf sheaths; larvae are creamy-white, legless grubs with a red-brown head 

Management :-

Plant only healthy plant material, do not plant if any tunnels are visible; hot water treatment of clean trimmed suckers can be used to kill off many eggs and grubs; applications of neem powder can reduce weevil numbers; appropriate insecticides applied at time of planting can help control weevil numbers

scale (Aspidiotus destructor):-

Symptoms

Small, flat, whitish scales, usually on undersides of leaves but may also attach to petioles, peduncles and fruit; plant tissue discolored and yellowing.

Management

Biological control is the best way to manage scale, with lady beetles providing the most effective protection.

Diseases :-

Anthracnose Colletotrichum musa :-

Symptoms

Brown spots on fruit peel; large brown to black areas; black lesions on green fruit.

Management :-

Commercially produced fruit should be washed and dipped in fungicide prior to shipping; protect fruit from injury; remove flower parts which can harbour fungus.

Black sigatoka (Black leaf streak) Mycosphaerella fijiensis:-

Red/brown flecks or spots on underside or topside of leaves; spots with dark or yellow border and grey centre; death of leaf surface; bunch not developing

Cause fungus 

Management

Export plantations may require regular fungicide applications; increase plant spacing to improve air circulation and reduce humidity; remove leaves with mature spots

Cigar end rot (Verticillium fructigena)

Trachysphaera theobromae :-

Tips of fingers initially begin to darken and wrinkle; tips of fingers develop a dark rot; if Verticillium fungi are present then the rot is typically dry and the tips become mummified, if Trachysphaera is present, the rotted are become covered with white spores which gives the fingers the ashen appearance characteristic of cigar end rot.

Management :-

Infected flowers should be removed from the plant; bunches should be bagged using perforated polyethylene; chemical control may be necessary in the case of severe infestations.

Panama disease (Fusarium wilt) Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense:-

The fungus infect roots and grow inside xylem vessels which in turn blocks flow of nutrients and water to plant. We can see reddish brown discoloration of vascular tissue by cut opening rhizomes and pseudostem. The above ground symptoms are yellowing of older leaves; splitting of leaf sheaths; leaves wilting and buckling; death of entire canopy.

Management:-

Use disease free planting materials; currently no effective treatment once plants are infected.

Rhizome rot( Erwinia carotovora)

Erwinia chrysanthemi :-

Symptoms :-

Pseudostem breaks from rhizome; rhizome will not germinate; internal tissue yellow/brown and watery

Management:-

Select only high quality, disease-free rhizomes fro propagation; disinfect all tools used for propagation regularly; allow seed pieces to dry before planting

Bunchy top Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV):-

Dark green streaks in leaves; chlorotic and upturned leaf margins; leaves brittle and erect; plant has a ‘bunchy top; no bunches produced

Management :-

Plant less susceptible varieties; destroy infected plants to prevent spread of disease