Integrated management of Fusarium wilt disease of banana in Kerala, India

Banana is considered an important fruit crop in the livelihood of many people in tropical and subtropical countries. However, in India, the banana crop is threatened by Fusarium wilt disease incited by the pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), a soil-borne fungus. A purposive sampling survey was conducted in 2018 in various districts of Kerala to study the extent of disease incidence and its severity. The study revealed that the disease incidence ranged from 1.52 to 43.65 percent with 20.41 to 49.57 percent severity. During the survey, it was observed that the major cultivating varieties such as Rasthali/Poovan, Kadali, Njalipoovan, and Chenkadali were infected by the disease which causes serious economic loss to the farmers. Hence, the research was carried out to create an integrated management package against the pathogen causing Fusarium wilt disease in bananas by testing various chemical fungicides and biocontrol agents under both as well as field conditions. Among the various treatments used, an integrated package including sucker treatment with biocontrol agent Pseudomonas fluorescens followed by the soil application of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Trichoderma viride (biocontrol agent) enriched cow dung at the time of planting and soil drenching with a triazole fungicide tebuconazole at 2 and 4 months after planting was recorded best for the disease management. As a result, the management of Fusarium wilt of banana may be accomplished by the employment of a combined strategy of biocontrol agents and chemical fungicides applied at the prescribed rate. © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Society for Plant Research 2023.