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Viral colonization was substantially reduced in banana plants that were foliar sprayed with Citosan NanoParticle, CS-NPs, solution. Banana plants treated with CS-NPs showed different levels of protection against Banana Streak Virus, BSV, compared with the untreated control plants. Banana plants treated with CS-NPs at a rate of 200 mg L−1, pre-inoculated with BSV, reduced the disease incidence (DI) by 75.00% and disease severity (DS) by 95.3%, compared with untreated plants. Banana plants treated with CS-NPs at a rate of 300 and 400 mg L−1, pre and post-inoculated with BSV, showed a complete reduction in DI and DS, compared to the control. Surprisingly, the inactivation effects were no longer strong enough to prevent viral accumulation and reproduction after 24h. However, foliar spraying of CS-NPs onto banana leaves significantly reduced BSV replication by activating the plant defense and growth response. The maximum up-regulating expression level of an 18.20-fold change was attained with CS-NPs at a rate of 400 mg L−1. Simultaneously, the mRNA accumulation of the PR-1 gene in 200- and 300 mg L−1 CS-NPs treated plants was high, with 12.12- and 10.50-relative expression fold increases, respectively, over the untreated control. Plants treated with Cs-NP showed elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (PR1 and PR2), catalase activity, and peroxidase activity. Interestingly, the NPs also markedly raised the phytohormones ABA and SA levels by 160% and 520%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOur study described in this paper sought to show that the fibers of the midrib of the leaves of cavendish variety banana plants from Cameroon can be extracted by boiling water and to compare their properties (chemical, physical, thermal, and mechanical) with those obtained by cold water extraction. The standard tests for the various characterizations were respected. This study showed that the fibers extracted with boiling water contained 64.3% cellulose, 18.1% hemicellulose, 4.5% lignin, and 12.9% pectin, while the fibers extracted by the cold water technique contained 65% cellulose, 19% hemicellulose, 5% lignin, and 11% pectin. The extraction of fibers by the boiling water technique gave a 9.35% extraction yield, 0.94 g.cm−3 density, 15.23 tex linear mass, 11.10% water content, 169.78% water absorption degree, and 36.02% humidity at a relative humidity of 75%, while the fibers extracted by the cold water technique had a 12.35% extraction yield, 0.91 g.cm−3 density, 14.23 tex linear mass, 10.73% water content, 102.4% water absorption degree, and 34.45% humidity at a relative humidity of 75%. The boiling water extracted fibers had a thermal stability temperature of 268.5 °C. The student’s t-test showed that the fibers obtained by the boiling water extraction technique and the cold water extraction technique had identical mechanical properties. Thus, we suggest that the fibers of the midrib of the leaves of banana plants can be extracted with boiling water and used in textiles and composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana Bunch Top Disease (BBTD) is a severe viral infection that poses a significant threat to banana production in tropical regions. Caused by the Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV) and transmitted primarily by the banana aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa), BBTD results in stunted growth and poor fruit production, leading to substantial economic losses. This paper presents a mathematical model to analyze the transmission dynamics of BBTD in banana plants and evaluate various control strategies using the Next Generation Matrix approach to compute the basic reproduction number R0. The study reveals that effective control of aphid populations, timely removal of infected plants, and the use of virus-free planting material significantly reduce the spread of BBTV and improve plant health. Increasing the removal rate β and managing the transmission rate β are crucial strategies for controlling the disease, while elevated aphid infection rates λ and progression rates σ exacerbate its spread. Numerical simulations highlight the effectiveness of targeted interventions, including the application of pesticides and the introduction of resistant banana varieties. The study recommends that, in addition to current control measures, more focus should be placed on comprehensive monitoring programs, early detection of symptoms, and community education on BBTD management strategies. Enhanced efforts in these areas are crucial to reducing the incidence of BBTD and improving the resilience of banana crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the capability of field-based spectroscopy (350–2500 nm) for discriminating banana plants (Cavendish subgroup Williams) infested with spider mites from those unaffected. Spider mites are considered a major threat to agricultural production, as they occur on over 1000 plant species, including banana plant varieties. Plants were grown under a controlled glasshouse environment to remove any influence other than the imposed treatment (presence or absence of spider mites). The spectroradiometer measurements were undertaken with a leaf clip over three infestation events. From the resultant spectral data, various classification models were evaluated including partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA), K-nearest neighbour, support vector machines and back propagation neural network. Wavelengths found to have a significant response to the presence of spider mites were extracted using competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), sub-window permutation analysis (SPA) and random frog (RF) and benchmarked using the classification models. CARS and SPA provided high detection success (86% prediction accuracy), with the wavelengths found to be significant corresponding with the red edge and near-infrared portions of the spectrum. As there is limited access to operational commercial hyperspectral imaging and additional complexity, a multispectral camera (Sequoia) was assessed for detecting spider mite impacts on banana plants. Simulated multispectral bands were able to provide a high level of detection accuracy (prediction accuracy of 82%) based on a PLSDA model, with the near-infrared band being most important, followed by the red edge, green and red bands. Multispectral vegetation indices were trialled using a simple threshold-based classification method using the green normalised difference vegetation index (GNDVI), which achieved 82% accuracy. This investigation determined that remote sensing approaches can provide an accurate method of detecting mite infestations, with multispectral sensors having the potential to provide a more commercially accessible means of detecting outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banana is produced mainly by smallholder farmers and considered a staple food in many developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity and population densities of mites in plants of Musa AAA (Cavendish subgroup) cv. Williams in Peru. Mites were collected every fortnight for 14 months (February 2016 to March 2017) from a banana crop system located at the Universidad Nacional de Piura, northwestern Peru. The following species were found: Tetranychus abacae (Tetranychidae), Neoseiulus fallacoides and Euseius concordis (Phytoseiidae). This is the first report for T. abacae and N. fallacoides in Peru. The most abundant mite was T. abacae, which was found in all evaluations and had the lowest populations between June and August, corresponding to the winter time locally. Both N. fallacoides and E. concordis were found in very low numbers. Knowing mite species in banana plants is essential for a proper crop management, mainly for pest control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Based on the data of General Director of Production and Horticulture, the damage of plantation areas in banana plantation centers in Indonesia always increases in years, this is due to Fusarium attack caused by fungus Fusarium oxisphorum and causing damage of 30- 70 % banana plantation areas.The aim of this empirically for due to biological control technology Fusarium wilt effective and environmentally friendly to the infected area in District Baturaden, Banyumas through soil solarization treatments and utilization of biological agents..The Research was conducted at the wilt disease endemic Fusarium land located in the village Pamijen, District Baturraden, Banyumas. The research design was a Split Plot Design consisting of 2 treatments, the main plot treatments is soil solarization, whereas treatment subplot is the type and dose of biological agents antagonist. The results showed that the treatment given soil solarization proved to increase the temperature of the surface of the soil up to 8.8 ° C compared with without solarization and reduces demand Fussarium population at ground level up to 53.61%, whereas without solarization Fussarium population decline by 22, 33%. Provision of biological agents Trichoderma, Gliocladium and P. Fluoroscens during the study proved to provide inhibition of the development of Fussarium on seedling disease, indicated by the appearance of symptoms of the disease until the end of the study. This is possible due to the formation of phenolic compounds such as tannins, saponins and glicosida and colonization between biological agents with the root system of plants in which the contact between pathogen inhibition with banana plant seedlings root system so that it protects the roots of the disease-causing pathogen infection Fussarium wilt. Treatment of biological agents proved capable of providing better vegetative growth when compared to the untreated biological agents (control) in which had significant effect on the number of root parameters, but had no significant effect on plant height parameter, number of leave’s, and stem’s diameter. However, the provision of Trichoderma 100 g / planting hole showed the best results in almost all plant vegetative growth parameters at the end of the reseach.

The Banana Bunchy Top Virus (Genus: Babuvirus) reduces plant growth and prevents banana production. Because of the very large number of properties with banana plants in South East Queensland, Australia, a mapping approach was developed to delineate individual and clusters of banana plants to help plant identification and enable prioritization of plant inspections for Banana Bunchy Top Virus. Due to current outbreaks in South East Queensland, there are concerns that the virus may spread to the major banana growing districts further north. The mapping approach developed was based on very high spatial resolution airborne orthophotos. Object-based image analysis was used to: (1) detect banana plants using edge and line detection approaches; (2) produce accurate and realistic outlines around classified banana plants; and (3) evaluate the mapping results. The mapping approach was developed based on 10 image tiles of 1 km × 1 km and was applied to orthophotos (3600 image tiles) from September 2011 covering the entire Sunshine Coast Region in South East Queensland. Based on field inspections of the classified maps, a user’s mapping accuracy of 88% (n = 146) was achieved. The results will facilitate the detection of banana plants and increase the inspection rate of Banana Bunchy Top Virus in the future.

Visceral leishmaniasis ( VL) is a disease that results in approximately 50 000 human deaths annually. It is transmitted through the bites of phlebotomine sandflies and around two-thirds of cases occur on the Indian subcontinent. Indoor residual spraying ( IRS), the efficacy of which depends upon sandfly adults resting indoors, is the only sandfly control method used in India. Recently, in Bihar, India, considerable sandfly numbers have been recorded outdoors in village vegetation, which suggests that IRS may control only a portion of the population. The purpose of this study was to revisit previously published results that suggested some sandflies to be arboreal and to rest on outlying plants by using Centers for Disease Control light traps to capture sandflies in vegetation, including banana plants and palmyra palm trees, in two previously sampled VL-endemic Bihari villages. Over 3500 sandflies were trapped in vegetation over 12 weeks. The results showed the mean number of sandflies collected per trap night were significantly higher in banana trees than in other vegetation ( P = 0.0141) and in female rather than male palmyra palm trees ( P = 0.0002). The results raise questions regarding sandfly dispersal, oviposition and feeding behaviours, and suggest a need to refine current control practices in India and to take into account an evolving understanding of sandfly ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was carried out in sandy soil to elucidate the possibility of using chloride form as a partial source for potassium in fertiga-tion of banana plants grown on a sandy soil. Growth, fruit yield and quality as well as plant nutritional status and Cl accumulation within both plant leaves and rhizosphere beside an economical elucidation were taken in to consideration to ac-complish such evaluation. Eleven gradual increas-ing KCl: KNO3 (0:100 - 100:0) ratios were applied with maintaining the concentration of all macro and micro nutrients except Cl constant. Obtained data indicated that increasing Cl existence didn’t adversely affect plant growth under this experi-ment. Treatments of 10:90 followed by 50:50 as well as 70:30 followed by 80:20 and either 90:10 or 10:90 (KCl:KNO3) were most stimulating treatments for increasing pseudo stem diameter and leaves number, respectively. Although total fruit yield bunch as well as number and length of fingers are less sensitive to increasing KCl:KNO3 ratio, number of hands/bunch and diameters of fingers were significantly and positively affected by increasing KCl existence. Treatment of 80:20 KCl:KNO3 was the most significant superior one for all measured fruit yield parameters. Although Cl content increased significantly in banana leaves and root surrounding area with increasing Cl ex-istence in the fertigation solutions, recorded con-tents seemed to be in safe ranges whereas no chlo-ride necroses symptoms were appeared at banana leaves. Contents of N, P and K as well as Cl in plant leaves were significantly, although in fluctu-ating manner, affected by increasing chloride oc-currence in fertigation solution. The encountered response of N, P and K contents seemed to be not only a resultant of increasing Cl occurrence in the root media but also as a reflection to changing the N form (NH4 and urea) compensating N-NO3 de-cline in the fertigation solutions having high Cl concentrations. The relatively high supplements of Cl (80:20 followed by 70:30 KCl: KNO3) recorded the highest economical net return. It could be con-cluded that KCl can be perfectly used in fertigat-ing banana plants grown on sandy soils. To in-crease safety of using chloride under such condi-tions, more work could be suggested particularly what concerns with calculating irrigation and leaching water requirements to prevent chloride accumulation in the root zone.

Black Sigatoka disease caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet is the most devastating disease of bananas worldwide. Its management is reliant on protectant and systemic fungicides despite their environmental concerns. This study evaluated the effect of a microbial fungicide (MF) based on Bacillus subtilis EA-CB0015 and its metabolites for the control of black Sigatoka disease on banana plants in greenhouse and field conditions. The MF applied at 1.5 L/ha and 3.0 L/ha provided control of the disease comparable to the protectant fungicide chlorothalonil in greenhouse. In the field, the MF applied in solution with water at 0.15 L/ha and 1.5 L/ha every 11 days during 10 weeks reduced black Sigatoka disease severity in 20.2% and 28.1% respectively; reductions comparable to those obtained with the protectant fungicides chlorothalonil (1.5 L/ha) and mancozeb (3.8 L/ha). The MF incorporated into different programs with systemic fungicides reduced disease level up to 42.9% with no significant differences with the conventional program. To determine which component of the MF is responsible for the activity against M. fijiensis , greenhouse and in vitro tests were set up to evaluate individually the spores, vegetative cells and secondary metabolites of B. subtilis EA-CB0015. All components reduced the severity of the disease and the germination of ascospores. For both trials the activity of the metabolites was higher and comparable to the activity obtained with the MF, indicating that the efficacy of the MF depends mainly on the metabolites and in lesser extent to B. subtilis EA-CB0015 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Banana Bunchy Top Virus (Genus: Babuvirus) reduces plant growth and prevents banana production. Because of the very large number of properties with banana plants in South East Queensland, Australia, a mapping approach was developed to delineate individual and clusters of banana plants to help plant identification and enable prioritization of plant inspections for Banana Bunchy Top Virus. Due to current outbreaks in South East Queensland, there are concerns that the virus may spread to the major banana growing districts further north. The mapping approach developed was based on very high spatial resolution airborne orthophotos. Object-based image analysis was used to: (1) detect banana plants using edge and line detection approaches; (2) produce accurate and realistic outlines around classified banana plants; and (3) evaluate the mapping results. The mapping approach was developed based on 10 image tiles of 1 km × 1 km and was applied to orthophotos (3600 image tiles) from September 2011 covering the entire Sunshine Coast Region in South East Queensland. Based on field inspections of the classified maps, a user’s mapping accuracy of 88% (n = 146) was achieved. The results will facilitate the detection of banana plants and increase the inspection rate of Banana Bunchy Top Virus in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, an entomopathogenic fungus, can exist asymptomatically as an endophyte in banana (Musa spp.) and potentially provide management against the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar). However, in order to optimize its biological control potential when deployed as an endophyte, it is essential to establish the inoculum dose and exposure duration that provides suitable levels and distribution of the pathogen within the plant. It is equally important to determine any negative fitness costs that might be associated with increased population of the fungus in the host plant. In an attempt to optimize plant colonization by this fungus, the effects of B. bassiana doses and exposure durations on colonization and growth of tissue cultured banana (AAA-EA, cv. Kibuzi) plants were investigated. The plants were inoculated by dipping in B. bassiana suspension and then grown in the screenhouse for a month. B. bassiana successfully colonized banana plants with 96.7% of B. bassiana-treated plants colonized, 1 month after inoculation. The optimal dose and exposure duration for effective colonization of tissue cultured banana plants varied, but dipping plants in a dose of 1.5×107 conidia/ml for 2h produced the best percentage colonization. Endophytic colonization of tissue cultured banana plants by B. bassiana had no negative impact on plant growth, even when plants were inoculated at the highest dose. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Lipopetides of B. tequilensis EA-CB0015 reduce the severity of black Sigatoka disease. • B. tequilensis EA-CB0015 cells colonize the leave surface of banana plants. • B. tequilensis EA-CB0015 cells produce surfactins lipopeptides on the leave surface. • The mode of action of B. tequilensis product involves competition and antibiosis. Black Sigatoka disease is a devastating fungal pathogen that affects banana crops worldwide and is caused by the ascomycete fungus Pseudocercospora fijiensis. In an effort to mitigate the environmental impacts of chemical fungicides, microbial biological control agents (MBCA) have been developed. However, a comprehensive understanding of the modes of action of these products are needed to enhance their efficacy under field conditions. Consequently, the functional role of different components of a Bacillus tequilensis EA-CB0015-based product was studied to understand their role in conferring protection to banana plants against the infection of P. fijiensis. Under this perspective, we evaluated the effect of B. tequilensis EA-CB0015 lipopetides on the severity of black Sigatoka disease, as well as the ability of the bacterial cells to colonize and produce lipopeptides on the leaf surface of banana plants (Musa AAA cv. Williams). Our work provides evidence that lipopetides significantly reduce the disease severity and that the bacterial cells colonize the leaf surface of banana plants inoculated with P. fijiensis during the first 48 h of incubation. Furthermore, we were able to detect an increased production of surfactins during colonization using mass spectrometry analysis. Altogether, our results suggest that the biological control strategies implemented by the MBCA product against P. fijiensis involves a direct interaction via antibiosis, as well as an indirect interaction via competition of nutrients and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]