Abstract
Bananas and plantains (Musa spp.) are among the main staple of millions of people in the world. Among the main Musaceae diseases that may limit its productivity, Fusarium wilt (FW), caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), has been threatening the banana industry for many years, with devastating effects on the economy of many tropical countries, becoming the leading cause of changes in the land use on severely affected areas. In this article, an updated, reflective and practical review of the current state of knowledge concerning the main agro-environmental factors that may affect disease progression and dissemination of this dangerous pathogen has been carried out, focusing on the Venezuelan Musaceae production systems. Environmental variables together with soil management and sustainable cultural practices are important factors affecting FW incidence and severity, excluding that the widespread dissemination of Foc, especially of its highly virulent tropical race 4 (TR4), is mainly caused by human activities. Additionally, risk analysis and climatic suitability maps for Foc TR4 in Venezuela have been developed. Although currently there are no effective management solutions available for FW control, this perspective provides an overview on the influence that environmental and agricultural variables would have on FW incidence and severity, giving some insight into management factors that can contribute to reducing its detrimental effects on banana production and how climate change may affect its development.
Highlights
According to the FAO [1], the banana (Musa spp.) is a source of staple food for a large part of the world’s population
They found that isolates of both races develop ever, in the case of banana-producing farms located in the extratropical zone, the temperoptimally in a wide range of temperatures between 23 to 29 ◦ C, to rapidly decrease their ature would represent a limiting factor for the adequate growth of the plants [32]
In Brazil, Deltour et al [49] showed that soils with a higher level of suppressiveness to Foc R1 are characterized by higher clay content and higher pH, which suggests that soils with heavy texture could be less prone to the development of Fusarium wilt (FW) than sandy soils with lower pH
Summary
According to the FAO [1], the banana (Musa spp.) is a source of staple food for a large part of the world’s population. Despite the overwhelming impact that Foc has had over the years, and there is extensive information concerning the biology and genetic diversity of this pathogen [4], there is still limited information available on its biogeography with concerning soil and climate, and in particular, there is no precise information on the agro-environmental factors that directly or indirectly affect the epidemiology of this disease [5]. This information would be relevant to a broader and more comprehensive understanding of the phytosanitary problem that Foc represents for banana plantations. With the scientific knowledge collected in this report, it will be possible to design or select sustainable management strategies to prevent or help to reduce FW incidence in banana plantations
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