Threat of Fusarium wilt Tropical race 4 on Ca...

Threat of Fusarium wilt Tropical race 4 on Cavendish cultivars in Latin America

Author Name : Kummethi Lekha Sre, Venkanolla Sruthi, Sushma Raj Chellem, Sanjeev Kumar

ABSTRACT Commercial banana production was seriously curtailed by Fusarium wilt, popular known as Panama wilt. It is a soil borne lethal fungal disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc). The Cavendish varieties that are almost grown in Latin America now became susceptible to TR4 by replacing the Gros Michels place, which was totally wiped out by the R1 strain. However Fusarium wilt has been devasting the banana plantations from decades in Asia, Australia and east Africa now it finally reached to Latin America, world‟s major supplier of banana production which is a bad news for banana lovers. For the first time Foc-TR4 was detected in Taiwan followed by Israel, India and Australia. Once it entered into soil it can remain dormant for more than 30 years before it infects the other plant and can‟t be controlled by any of the biological or chemical practices. Pathogenicity genes of the fungus are still not fully understood, the only available preventive measures is Quarantine. Vigorous efforts couldn‟t averted the pathogen from spreading. On August 8th, 2019 officials of Colombia announced the presence of this dreadly fungus by declaring as a national state of emergency. It is declared as first report of TR4strain in Latin America. Experts have been proposed a number of ideas to save the Cavendish cultivar including genetically engineering plants which are resistant to TR4 fungus.