The epidemiology of Fusarium wilt of banana

Abstract

Fusarium wilt of banana (also known as Panama disease) has been a problem in Australia since 1874. Race 1 of the pathogen (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense) is responsible for damage to Lady Finger (AAB, Pome subgroup) and other less widely grown cultivars such as Ducasse (Pisang Awak, ABB). Subtropical Race 4 (STR4) also affects these varieties as well as Cavendish (AAA) in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales where cold temperature predisposition is involved. Tropical Race 4 (TR4) has led to the demise of the Cavendish industry in the Northern Territory, and its presence was confirmed in a north Queensland plantation in 2015, which warranted destruction of all banana plants on the property; as of this writing (April 2019), TR4 has spread to two adjacent properties.