Fusarium Wilt TR4: Prevention is the key to keep the disease at bay in bananas, experts advise

15 March 2024, Rome – Banana Fusarium Wilt caused by Tropical Race 4 (TR4) remains a daunting challenge for banana producing countries because of its severe impact on food security and millions of people depending on banana for food and livelihood. 

It is estimated that bananas account for ten billion USD in annual global trade, while more than 400 million people rely on bananas for nutrition in Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

At the Fourth World Banana Forum organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) stakeholders of the banana sector, at all levels, discussed measures to help the industry become more equitable, sustainable, and responsible. 

Prevention of TR4 holds the future of the banana industry

During the side event on “Fusarium Wilt TR4 and the Future of the Banana” experts emphasized the urgency for countries to invest in prevention measures as they help to control and delay the spread of the disease into new areas. 

“Once TR4 has been established in the field, its management is extremely challenging and costly,” Maged Elkahky, Assistant Team Lead for FAO’s Locusts and other Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases told the participants. 

Fusarium Wilt TR4 is known for its ability to persist in the soil for an extended period and may cause severe damage to banana plantations. 

Evidence from the field 

FAO supports the collaboration between countries and facilitates capacity strengthening in detection and surveillance of disease, contingency planning, raising awareness and response. 

In Africa, the Comoros became the second country to report TR4. Plant officers detected the diseases thanks to the skills and knowledge benefited from the regional training on Identification, and management strategies conducted the previous year organized by FAO. 

“The training built our capacity in surveillance and identifying TR4. This was the basis for the interventions that followed to contain it. The disease is spreading fast, it is now present in all the three islands in the Comoros,” said Hamza Abdou Azali, Director General of the National Research Institute for agriculture, fisheries, and the environment (INRAPE) Union of the Comoros. 

Building synergies and capacities for management of TR4 

Knowledge sharing and international cooperation of stakeholders were cited as crucial to address TR4 in banana production. Moreover, innovative management strategies would ensure future disease prevention and management techniques. 

The meeting also called for a paradigm shift in dealing with banana diseases for long resilience and sustainability. Ends

Webcast: Fourth Global Conference of the World Banana Forum