Corm damage caused by banana weevils Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) collected from different banana growing regions in Uganda

Charles K Twesigye,Enock Matovu,Kenneth Ssekatawa,Wilberforce Tushemereirwe,Eldad Karamura,Andrew Kiggundu

doi:10.1186/s40066-018-0224-y

Charles K Twesigye, Enock Matovu + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-018-0224-y

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Abstract

BackgroundIn this study, both healthy tissue culture plantlets and maiden suckers of the Nakitembe cultivar were used to assess the damage level variation caused by banana weevils collected from different banana growing regions. Seventy-nine (79) tissue culture plantlets and fifty (50) suckers were established in buckets in a randomized complete block design for 5 months. Ten adult weevils (5 females and 5 males) were introduced at the base of each plant, and the buckets were covered with a weevil proof mesh. Weevil damage was estimated as a percentage at 60 days after the weevil introduction by estimating the peripheral damage (PD), total cross section corm damage (XT) and above the collar damage (ACD).ResultsThe results showed high differences in the PD, XI, XO and XT caused by weevils from the different zones. PD and XT ranged from 4.8–50.4 to 4.2–43.8%, respectively, caused by weevils collected from Kabale and Rakai, Kabale and Wakiso, respectively, while XI and XO varied from 0.0–42.9 to 8.3–40.4%, respectively, caused by banana weevils collected from Kabale and Rakai, Kabale and Rakai, respectively. Banana weevils from Rakai caused the highest ACD of 40.4% and no such damage was caused by banana weevils collected from western Uganda. Average ACD in suckers was 19.6% and significantly higher than that in tissue culture plants (8.5%).Conclusions and recommendationsCorm damage assessment suggests the existence of banana weevil biotypes but it is recommended that follow-up studies be carried out to confirm this phenomenon.

Highlights

In this study, both healthy tissue culture plantlets and maiden suckers of the Nakitembe cultivar were used to assess the damage level variation caused by banana weevils collected from different banana growing regions
The main objectives of this study were to: (1) establish the variation in corm damage caused by banana weevils collected from different banana growing regions in potted experiments under the same environmental conditions and (2) provide an insight into the existence of banana weevil biotypes that are essential in screening banana plants resistant to weevils
Evaluation of corm damage caused to banana plants established from tissue banana plantlets and suckers Mean percentages of peripheral damage (PD), above the collar damage (ACD), XI, XO and XT (± SE) for both tissue culture plants and suckers were compared, and the results showed no significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) in PD, XI, XO and XT levels caused both to tissue culture plant and suckers but ACD level caused was significantly

Summary

Introduction

Both healthy tissue culture plantlets and maiden suckers of the Nakitembe cultivar were used to assess the damage level variation caused by banana weevils collected from different banana growing regions. Seventy-nine (79) tissue culture plantlets and fifty (50) suckers were established in buckets in a randomized complete block design for 5 months. The banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) is the most challenging insect pest of Musa spp globally. In most regions of East Africa, the East African highland banana (EAHB) AAA) is the staple food crop mainly produced by subsistence farming, while plantain Highland cooking (Musa AAA-EA) and beer bananas (Musa AAA-EA, ABB and AB) comply the most important staple food crop for the East African Great Lakes region.

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