Panama disease threatens survival of banana varieties

Visakhapatnam: Chakkerakeli and Amruthapani, the tastiest banana varieties along with other varieties have been facing serious threat from the deadly Panama disease.

In the last four years, the crop output has declined by 25 to 30 per cent and Amruthapani variety is almost disappearing due to the Panama disease in Andhra Pradesh. Though the National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) alerted the state government, the conservation methods are not being implemented and the entire banana crop is facing serious threat from the deadly disease.

Panama disease which killing the banana crop in a large extent in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Kerala, is now spreading in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in the coastal districts..

The Amruthapani variety, the tastiest of varieties produced in the state, has been affected so badly by Panama disease that farmers have stopped its cultivation and are importing Marthamani, another variety from West Bengal. However, this variety is less tasty when compare to Amruthapani.

Panama, the soil-borne fungus disease, is threatening banana crops in several states in the country. Not only in India, it has become a threat to cavendish variety of banana cultivated in many countries including Europe, thus prompting frantic research to arrest the menace.

The NRCB, which has taken up several studies on prevention of the disease, already informed the state government to alert the banana farmers to be very careful while cultivate the crop.

As the officials have not paid much attention to the need to alert and educate farmers, the crop is putting farmers in crisis situation even as global efforts to control the disease gain momentum. The NRCB scientists say the disease could be prevented if the farmers adopt some immediate measures right from the starting stage of the cultivation.

“I don’t know about the disease. But for the last four years I am observing that there is 30 per cent decline in the crop. The trees are getting dried up when it came to flowering.

Though some trees survived, but the yield is very less. Till now I am not aware of Panama disease. But recently some people from Kadiam nursery informed that Panama disease is killing the crop,” Guntuboyina Rambabu, banana farmer of Ravulapalem in East Godavari told The Hans India.