Fusarium Wilt Disease of Banana in India: Current Scenario

Banana (Musa spp.) is one of the most important food crops and is also the staple food of most of the people of the developing regions of the world.The total world production recorded in the year 2016 accounts to approx.113 million metric ton wherein the production in India was around 29 million metric ton.Edible bananas originated in Asia and then were distributed worldwide.There are more than 100 different varieties of bananas grown in Asia and consumed locally.Most of the edible bananas are triploid formed by inter-specific hybridization of the two diploid originators Musa acuminata Colla (AA genome) and Musa balbisiana Colla (BB genome).The production of bananas in India increased from 14 million metric ton in 2000 to 18 million metric ton in 2005 and then there was a sharp increase to 29 million metric ton in the year 2010.Moreover the area harvested was significantly high from 2005 (569,500 ha) to 2010 (830,000 ha).The production of banana is severely affected by diseases such as Fusarium wilt disease, banana bunchy top disease and Sigatoka disease which reduces yield to 100%.Fusarium wilt disease is a fungal disease caused by a soil pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.cubense (Foc).Foc spores present in the soil or in the infected planting material finds entry through the roots and into the rhizome of the healthy banana plant.Thereby, it travels towards the vascular tissues and blocks it, resulting in wilt symptoms [1,2].Eventually the infected banana plant dies because of poor water conduction, cell death and toxins released by Foc.Managing Fusarium wilt disease of banana by chemical or physical methods is found to be problematic.Sustainable solution towards controlling Fusarium wilt disease of banana is planting resistant varieties.Gros Michel variety of banana that dominated world market in early 19 th century was wiped out by the race 1 strain of Foc.The banana growers and banana industry shifted the cultivation to the race 1 resistant Cavendish varieties that replaced Gros Michel variety.However, in late 20 th century another strain of Foc, known as tropical race 4 (TR4), was found infecting Cavendish variety and is now rampantly spreading in the major banana growing regions threatening its production.Beginning of 21 st century TR4 was recorded in South Asia, Africa, China and Australia.This problem is constantly looming over the heads of the banana scientist and banana growers to identify a substitute for the Cavendish variety.