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African Crops News
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AN OUT-BREAK OF BANANA
BACTERIAL WILT DISEASE IN MULEBA DISTRICT, KAGERA REGION, TANZANIA
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premature
ripening of bunches, yellow discharges & blackish patches from cut
wounds
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Wilting and drying bunches |
Prepared by
S.R.B. Mgenzi, Maruku Agriculture Research and Development Institute,
Tanzania
D. Muchunguzi, Department of Agriculture, Muleba District, Tanzania
T. Mutagwaba, Department of Agriculture, Muleba District, Tanzania
F. Mkondo, Plant Health Services, Headquarters, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
R. Mohamed, Plant Health Services, Headquarters, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
V. Aritua, National Agricultural Biotechnology Center, Kawanda Agricultural
Research Institute, Uganda and Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York
YO41 1LZ, UK; Email: v.aritua@csl.gov.uk
Following complaints from farmers in Kabale Village of Izigo Division within
Muleba District, the local agricultural extension staff reported an outbreak
of unusual disease with symptoms similar to Banana Bacterial Wilt previously
reported in Uganda. In response, Maruku Agriculture Research and Development
Institute (ARDI Maruku) scientists with previous experience with managing
the diseases in Mukono District, Uganda, visited the affected area on 13
January 2006. The disease was identified symptomatically as Banana Bacterial
Wilt (see photos).
Field
observations showed that the disease infects all banana cultivars in the
district, although most prevalent on Bluggoe, a cultivar that is extensively
cultivated in the area. The disease was first detected by farmers of Kabale
village in September 2005. The disease has spread to farms in Kabale B
sub-village (S 01º37´48.5; E 031º44´ 25.4 at elevation of 1172 masl), Izigo
village (S 01º52´05.6; E 031º36´00.9 at elevation of 1209 masl) and Kikondo.
Other areas where the ARDI scientists have observed infection plants include
Bumilo and Magata villages also within Maruku district. It is estimated that
approximately over 100 households have been affected.
Farmers observed that the
disease is most prevalent among recently flowered plants. Early symptoms
include scorching of leaves, wilting, yellowing of bunches and complete
wilting. All bracts of male buds were observed to wilt, weaken and
eventually dry out. Other common Banana Bacterial Wilt symptoms observed
include premature ripening of bunches (including those less than a month
old) and yellowing of the infected pseudo stems and peduncles. The affected
banana fingers discharge yellow fluid and form black patches when cut.
The source of the
epidemic remains unknown. Scientists however, suspect the disease may have
spread from the neighboring farms in eastern Rwanda where a recent outbreak
was reported.
For
confirmatory tests, samples from diseased plants have been sent to Global
Plant Clinic (of CAB International) in the UK. Additional samples are being
analyzed by Dr. Valentine Aritua of NARO, Uganda, at the Central Science
Laboratory in United Kingdom. The centre also analyses bacterial samples of
Banana Bacterial Wilt from Ethiopia, Uganda, DRC and Rwanda. The results of
the laboratory analyses will be reported in the upcoming issues of the
newsletter and the Africancrops.net website. |
