Banana Bunchy Top is the industry’s most devastating viral disease. It is found all around the globe and it is capable of infecting all banana varieties, while also being very hard to detect.
In Australia, Bunchy Top is currently contained to Northern New South Wales and South East Queensland. If it would spread to Far North Queensland, where 94% of production takes place, the consequences would be severe. The disease, spread by banana aphids or infected planting material, stunts plant growth and stops fruit production.
To combat the disease, the National Bunchy Top Project, funded by Hort Innovation and run through the Australian Banana Growers’ Council, is on a mission to make the task easier for both commercial and backyard growers. The Bunchy Top team have recently released a detailed video for commercial growers, outlining symptoms, tactics for spotting them and the most effective destruction methods.
Experienced Bunchy Top detector Samantha Stringer said the new video aims to ensure growers feel better equipped to protect their property – and the broader industry – from the disease.
Source: abgc.org.au