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Preventing the spread and introduction of Banana Fusarium Tropical race 4 (TR4)

TR4 Global Network - An initiative of the World Banana Forum

Year of publication 2020

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 4p.

Author FAO

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet

Synopsis (short abstract) Preventing the spread and introduction of Banana Fusarium Tropical race 4 (TR4) disease is a summary of a more extensive guide for travellers, targeting occasional and regular travellers to or from banana and plantain production areas. The quick guide aims to raise awareness and provide direction on preventing the spread of the highly virulent pathogen known as Tropical Race 4 (TR4. The document opens with a brief historical background on the banana fusarium wilt disease that have affected banana and plantain plants over several decades. Today, TR4 threatens almost all banana and plantain producers, posing the greatest risks to countries producing Cavendish bananas in monoculture plantations in Asia, Australia, Africa, the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean. Once established in a banana or plantain plantation, the fungus can survive in the soil and in alternative host plants for decades. Finally, the quick guide offers recommendations: for regular and occasional travellers and local or international visitors; for farmers, professionals, technicians and employees visiting disease-free banana and plantain farms in areas where TR4 infestation has been recorded; and additional recommendations for visiting farms infested with TR4 for obligatory and work-related reasons.

Language English

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    Preventing the spread and introduction of banana fusarium wilt disease Tropical race 4 (TR4)
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    Banana is an important crop for food security and ensuring the livelihoods of approximately 400 million people who depend on the crop either as a staple food or source of income, particularly in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Plant pests and diseases can seriously affect agricultural production and livelihood of rural people. Fusarium wilt of banana is one of the key examples of crop devastation by a plant disease. This disease brought the banana export industry almost to a halt in the 20th century when the popular banana variety Gros Michel was devastated in Central America. The sector was saved by the introduction of the Cavendish variety, which is resistant to race 1 of the fungus. However, Cavendish bananas are now succumbing to a new, highly aggressive strain of the Fusarium wilt fungus, Tropical race 4 (TR4). Fusarium wilt TR4 threatens almost all banana producers, posing the greatest risks to countries producing Cavendish bananas in monoculture plantations in Asia, Australia, Africa, the Near East, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Cavendish bananas, which constitute approximately half of the bananas grown globally are highly susceptible to TR4, but other dessert banana varieties grown in these regions are also susceptible. Once established in a banana plantation, the fungus can survive in the soil for decades with its chlamydospores, even without banana plants. Scientific reports indicate the presence of TR4 in numerous countries in Asia (China – mainland and Taiwan Province), India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar,
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    Developed by the facilitators of the TR4 Global Network (TR4GN), Guidelines on the prevention of Tropical race 4 (TR4) for practitioners in the field aims to provide farmers/growers and extension workers with support to create their own TR4 prevention plans. Rather than ready-made solutions, the guidelines are frameworks that each farmer/grower or extension staff worker can use to begin to customize specific local solutions. Based on a trove of information gathered by FAO in consultation with various regional, national, and international stakeholders and actors, the guidelines offer advice to farmers/growers and extension workers on how to develop a TR4 action plan; how to develop a TR4 risk management plan; how to check compliance with biosecurity measures according to international standards; and how to develop TR4 communication materials (mainly for extension agents).
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    Guidelines - The prevention of Tropical race TR4 for governmental authorities
    TR4 Global Network - An initiative of the World Banana Forum
    2020
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    Developed by the facilitators of the TR4 Global Network (TR4GN), Guidelines on the prevention of Tropical race 4 (TR4) for Governmental Authorities aims to support government authorities and policy makers to design and implement their own bespoke TR4 prevention policies and programmes. Based on a wealth of information gathered by FAO in consultation with various regional, national, and international stakeholders and actors, the guidelines offer advice to governments on how to develop a TR4 action plan; how to develop a TR4 risk management plan; how to develop a TR4 surveillance plan; how to check compliance with biosecurity measures according to international standards; and how to develop a communication strategy on TR4.
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