Sources of resistance to Pseudocercospora fijiensis, the cause of black Sigatoka in banana.

Evans Were,Janet Kimunye,Altus Viljoen,Rony Swennen,George Mahuku

doi:10.1111/ppa.13408

Abstract

Black Sigatoka, caused by Pseudocercospora fijiensis, is one of the most devastating diseases of banana. In commercial banana‐growing systems, black Sigatoka is primarily managed by fungicides. This mode of disease management is not feasible for resource‐limited smallholder farmers. Therefore, bananas resistant to P. fijiensis provide a practical solution for managing the disease, especially under smallholder farming systems. Most banana and plantain hybrids with resistance to P. fijiensis were developed using few sources of resistance, which include Calcutta 4 and Pisang Lilin. To broaden the pool of resistance sources to P. fijiensis, 95 banana accessions were evaluated under field conditions in Sendusu, Uganda. Eleven accessions were resistant to P. fijiensis. Black Sigatoka symptoms did not progress past Stage 2 (narrow brown streaks) in the diploid accessions Pahang (AA), Pisang KRA (AA), Malaccensis 0074 (AA), Long Tavoy (AA), M.A. Truncata (AA), Tani (BB), and Balbisiana (BB), a response similar to the resistant control Calcutta 4. These accessions are potential sources of P. fijiensis resistance and banana breeding programmes can use them to broaden the genetic base for resistance to P. fijiensis.

Highlights

Bananas are perennial monocot herbs belonging to the genus Musa, family Musaceae and order Zingiberales (Simmonds & Shepherd, 1955)
The resistant diploids belonged to M. acuminata subsp. burmannica, subsp. malaccensis, and subsp. zebrina, and to M. balbisiana
Earlier studies of banana varieties in Cameroon reported resistant accessions in these subgroups (Fouré, 1994). More accessions from these subspecies should be screened to expand the available sources of resistance to P. fijiensis

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

Bananas are perennial monocot herbs belonging to the genus Musa, family Musaceae and order Zingiberales (Simmonds & Shepherd, 1955). Several banana breeding programmes have successfully developed black Sigatoka-resistant hybrids and cultivars (Batte et al, 2019; Ortiz & Swennen, 2014; Rowe & Rosales, 2000; Tenkouano et al, 2011; Vuylsteke et al, 1993). The objective of this study was to evaluate 95 accessions for response to P. fijiensis in Uganda (under highland conditions), including 13 accessions previously evaluated in Cameroon (under lowland conditions), along with wild and improved diploids This was done to identify additional sources of resistance that could potentially be used as parents in IITA and NARO’s banana breeding programmes

| MATERIALS AND METHODS

Findings

| DISCUSSION