Banana Disease Threatens Farmers’ Livelihood in Sub-Saharan Africa

The livelihood of millions of banana growers in Africa's Great Lakes Region is facing enormous threat from the Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) disease, according to a new study published in the journal Plant Disease. BXW, which is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, was first recorded in Ethiopia 40 years ago on enset, a distant cousin of banana. It was then reported in Uganda in 2001, and has since been reported in major banana-producing countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and DR Congo.

The pathogen spreads rapidly and kills plants quickly. According to scientists, the impact of BXW is extreme since it causes the death of the mother plant that would otherwise contribute to the ratoon plant production cycles. Banana plants with BXW exhibit a variety of symptoms, including leaf yellowing and wilting, uneven and premature fruit ripening, pale yellow ooze from cut surfaces, rotting and subsequently plant death.

Genetic modification, being a low-cost and timely option, is being considered as a way to manage the said disease. Researchers from the Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in collaboration with several international research institutions, are currently undertaking research on improving the resistance of banana varieties to BXW attack. They have identified possible BXW resistance genes. Taiwan-base Academia Sinica has granted IITA with a royalty-free license to use the disease-resistance pflp gene from pepper to develop bananas resistant to BXW in sub-Saharan Africa.

The paper published by Plant Disease is available for download at http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-93-5-0440