An integrated approach to manage Fusarium wilt on bananas

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense Tropical Race 4 (Foc TR4) causes Fusarium wilt, also known as Panama disease, and is currently spreading throughout banana producing nations. Foc TR4 was identified on a farm in the Tully region in March 2015 and threatens the viability of Australia’s $600 million banana industry. The Fusarium wilt Tropical Race 4 research program endeavours to build on short-term advances in biosecurity research, by investigating mid- and long-term strategies which would allow banana growers to profitably produce bananas in an integrated system in the presence of Fusarium wilt. Medium-term research outcomes have focused on development of more resilient banana production systems, by understanding the epidemiology of Fusarium within the banana plant, particularly chlamydospore production, how the pathogen survives on alternative hosts and the opportunities to incorporate pathogen suppressive crop rotations. Furthermore, a greater understanding of pathogen suppression has been achieved through characterisation of physicochemical properties of north Queensland banana producing soils and farm management practices. The longerterm outcomes include the development of TR4 resistant cultivars, by developing genetic material through a mutagenesis program, commencing with banana cultivars that are known to be resistant to TR4. Field screening and selection has been conducted in the Northern Territory and north Queensland for the identification of improved cultivars. Ultimately, an integrated system for banana growers will be developed based on biosecure farm systems using banana cultivars with improved resistance grown in a disease suppressive production system.