SOURCE: Keely Johnson, ABC News A highly destructive fungal disease known for wiping out entire banana crops, is devastating plantations on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, putting local supply in jeopardy. The disease, Panama disease race 1, is threatening a banana supply shortage of the Lady Finger andContinue Reading
Dole Food Company shared the company’s most recent update on its efforts to combat Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4), a plant disease that poses an existential threat to bananas, a major staple crop for much of the world.Continue Reading
SOURCE: EFE, La Vanguardia TRANSLATION: Freshplaza On Wednesday, July 1, Costa Rica declared a state of phytosanitary emergency as a measure to prevent the entry of the Fusarium TR4 plague into the country and protect its banana production, an important activity that generates more than 140,000 direct and indirect jobsContinue Reading
The race to engineer the next-generation banana is on. The Colombian government confirmed last month that a banana-killing fungus has invaded the Americas — the source of much of the world’s banana supply. The invasion has given new urgency to efforts to create fruit that can withstand the scourge. Continue Reading
The banana disease Fusarium wilt Tropical Race IV (TR4) has spread on the three farms in Queensland, Australia, since the initial 2015 detection. But Australia’s Department of Agriculture said the disease (a.k.a. Panama disease) has not spread to other Tulley Valley farms. “The disease has spread uphill andContinue Reading
In an attempt to restrict the spread of the destructive Panama disease TR4 in Australia, the Queensland government recently granted the Australian Banana Growers’ Council (ABGC) AUD$12.1 million (over USD 8 million) in funding. However, starting this July it has asked that a cost-sharing arrangement be made between itselfContinue Reading