Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
which may decay, leaving cavities surrounded by dark,
spongy tissue. Symptoms in the corm are often associated
with, and can be mistaken for, beetle borer damage, which
may be involved in transmission.
desuckering, which results in more severe effects on first
ratoons.
Importance
Soft rot can be serious when crops are planted in hot, wet
weather.
Source of infection and spread
The bacteria are common soil inhabitants that generally
operate opportunistically. Most likely, rhizome soft rot
spreads during preparation of planting material, as well as
through mechanical injury during cultivation and
Management
Improve soil drainage.
Do not plant in waterlogged soils.
RALSTONIA BACTERIAL WILT (MOKO, BUGTOK, BLOOD DISEASE) -
BIOSECURITY THREAT
Cause
Ralstonia solanacearum race 2, biovar 1 strains, blood
disease bacterium (BDB).
cut, red-brown vascular discolouration is observed and a
whitish bacterial ooze forms rapidly.
Source of infection and spread
Various forms of Ralstonia wilt can be spread via
contaminated plant sources, soil, water, insects
(including common pollinators and banana pests),
cultivation and harvesting equipment. The pathogen
can persist for many years in the soil, and is
maintained by many asymptomatic weed hosts
associated with banana cropping.
Symptoms
Symptoms include general wilt and subsequent death
of the plant, starting with the yellowing then death of
younger leaves, which then spreads to all parts of the
plant. The wilt may also cause the plant to fall over. Fruit
may show uneven ripening, distortion, splitting, necrosis
and dry rot. When fruit, pseudostems or rhizomes are
Fig 5.2 Symptoms of blood disease showing in the tree.
Fig 5.3 Bacterial ooze on a cut pseudostem.
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