Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project

NAREI
(592) 220-2843, (592) 220-2843
(592) 220-4481/220-2843
macsecretariat@gmail.com
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
URL: www.mangrovesgy.org
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MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY
Both cultural and chemical strategies havebeen used for control of thebanana
thrips. Innewplantationsonlypeeledandwashedrhizomesshouldbeusedsince
thepestcanspreadbyinfestedsetts, youngsuckersandsoil infestedwithpupae. In
additiontosprayingof thepseudostemandsuckers, youngfruitsarebagged. The
bunch is bagged using a polyethylene sack, which is impregnated with an
insecticide(chloropyrifos) topreventinfestationof thripsfromthepseudostemto
thefruit. Fruitsshouldbewashedandtreatedbeforeshippingsinceliveinsectscan
becarriedonthem.Fruitsshouldbeinspectedforliveinsects.
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Figure 11: Fruit scarring
Figure 12: Red rust thrips
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RED RUST THRIPS -
Chaetanaphothripssignipennis(Thynasoptera:Thripidae)
Theredrust thrips, Chaetanaphothripssignipennis, isof economicimportancein
many banana-producingcountries. Whenfruits areattacked, themarket valueis
reduced although thequality of fruit is not affected. Circular rusty-red patches
appear on affected fruits and later there is superficial cracking of the skin or
sometimessplittingof thefruit.ThispesthasalimiteddistributionintheCaribbean
andisof quarantinesignificance.
Thripsaresmall insects, about1to2mmlong, thatoccuronthefruitasthebunchis
emergingandthebractslift. Theeggsarelaidunder theepidermisof theplant on
shoots, edgesof thesheathsandyoungleaves. Onthefruit, eggsarealsolaidin
shelteredbasesandbetweenfruitsfor protection. Theeggshatchin1-2weeksand
thelarvaecrawl andfeedforaboutoneweekbeforegoingtothesoil topupate.The
pupaelivefor 7-12daysandtheadultsfor 27-112days(average50-55days). The
adultsliveonanyshelteredpartof theplant: inthebunch, under thesheathsor on
young leaves and petioles. Adult thrips reproduce sexually and there are more
femalesthanmalesinfieldpopulations. Undercool dayconditions, thelifecycleis
prolonged.
Redrust thripscauserust-coloredblemishestoformonthefruitduetofeedingof
nymphsandadults. Theyfeedonthesoftskinof theimmaturefruit, usuallyonthe
hiddensurfacesbetweenthecloselypackedfingers, especiallyinareaswherethe
fingers aretouching. Thetophands areusually themost seriously affected. The
damage should not be confused with maturity bronzing, which occurs on the
exposedouter curveof thefruit andisnot confinedtoareaswherethefingersare
touching. Inseverecasesthefruit developslongitudinal cracksanddamagemay
extendover most of thefruit surface. Althoughthedamagedoes not reducethe
eatingqualityof thefruit, itnegativelyaffectstheexternal appearanceandmarket
value.
Flower thrips (Frankliniella spp.) arecommon throughout Guyana and causea
small raisedpimple, cappedbyablackspot, todeveloponthefruitsurface. Thisis
duetotheadultfemalelayingitseggsintheskinof softimmaturefruit.
BIOLOGY
SYMPTOMS
YELLOWSIGATOKA
YELLOWSIGATOKA
YELLOWSIGATOKA
Mycosphaerella musicola
Pseudocercospora musae ( )
Bananas (AAA) generally susceptible;
most cooking bananas and plantains
(AAB and ABB) moderately to highly
resistant
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conidiophores formed in dense
clusters (sporodochia) on dark
stromata on both leaf surfaces
conidiophores straight, usually
nonseptate and unbranched,
no spore scars
conidia uniform thickness for
full length, 1-5 septate,
no distinct basal scar
early streak pale yellow
streaks appear on leaf numbers
4-5 (unsprayed Cavendish)
YELLOWSIGATOKA
more common in cooler
environments
inoculum consists of both conidia
(water-dispersed) and ascospores
(wind-dispersed)
conidia first appear in the
mature spot stage
produce more than 30,000 condia
per spot
conidia not dislodged by wind
mature ascospores produced 4
weeks after the appearance
of streaks
BLACK SIGATOKA
( )
BLACK SIGATOKA
Most dessert bananas, cooking
bananas, and plantains susceptible
BLACK SIGATOKA
BLACK SIGATOKA
Mycosphaerella fijiensis
Pseudocercospora fijiensis
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conidiophores formed singly or
in small groups (2-5) on lower
leaf surface.
conidiophores straight or bent,
0-3 septate and occasionally
branched, slightly thickened
spore scars
conidia taper from base to apex,
1-6 septate, distinct basal scar
early streak dark brown
streaks appear on leaf numbers
2-4 (unsprayed Cavendish)
more common in warmer
environments
windborne ascospores are the
major inoculum
conidia first appear in early
streak stage
produce about 1,200 condia per
spot
conidia both water- and wind-
dispersed
mature ascospores produced 2
weeks after the appearance
of streaks
Pathogen
Epidemiology
Symptoms
Hosts
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Plantain Varieties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Plantain/Banana Root Weevil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Symptom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Management Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Pseudostem borer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Fruit Scarring Beetle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Symptoms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Conditions for Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Management Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Nematode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Symptoms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Management Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Diseases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Moko Diseases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Symptoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Conditions for Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Management Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Black Sigatoka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Symptoms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Management Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Red Rust Thrips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Biology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Symptoms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Management Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
National Agricultural Research Institute Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
National Agricultural Research Institute Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
sometimes with apurpletinge, and visibleon thetop surface. Thelesions then
enlarge, becomingfusiformorelliptical, anddarkentogivethecharacteristicblack
streaking of the leaves. Adjacent tissue often has a water-soaked appearance,
especially under conditions of highhumidity. Whenthediseaseseverity is high,
largeareasof theleaf maybecomeblackenedandwater- soaked. Onthenecrotic
tissue, numerous, tiny, black, globosefruitingbodiescontainingsac-likestructures
filledwithascosporeswill emergefromtheundersideof theleaf. If leftunchecked,
blackSigatokawill progressthroughtheplant'sleaf surfacearea, greatlyreducing
photosyntheticcapabilityandthusyield.
BlackSigatokaiscontrolledwithfrequent applicationsof fungicidesandcultural
practices, suchastheremoval of affectedleaves, andadequatespacingof plants
andefficientdrainagewithinplantation.Intotal,theseareveryexpensivepractices.
Figure 10: Necrotic lesions on leaves
MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY
Black and Yellow Sigatoka Compared (next page)
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
CONDITIONSFORDEVELOPMENT
MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY
SYMPTOMS
Thespreadanddispersal of thisdiseaseisbyuseof plantingmaterialstakenfrom
diseasedstands, frommother cormintothesuckersandfollowers. Insectssuchas
beesandwaspsalsofacilitatetransmissionof thisdisease. Thediseaseismoved
intocountriesbypeopleandgoods; byair andseaandfromplanttoplantthrough
theuseof un-sterilisedfarmtools.
Rigidsanitarymethodsarethebest meansof control asnochemical treatment is
availabletopreventorcontrol infection.Managementincludesthefollowing:
a) useof plantingmaterialsfromdiseasefreefields,
b) removal and destruction by burning of all plants which show any signs of
disease,
c) proper fieldsanitation plotsshouldbeweedfree, sincemoca-moca bush
andotherweedspeciesmaykeepMokobacteriaalive,
d) disinfectioninthefieldscanbeachievedbyflamingtools(heat exposure) or
sterilisedinasolutionof 70%ethanol (alcohol),formaldehyde(formalin)10%
orchlorinesolution10%(marvex/bleach),foratleast10minutes,
e) provision of adequate drainage to avoid run-off water fromcontaminated
fieldssothatthediseasecannotbetransmittedfromfieldtofield,
f) if fieldsarealreadyinfested, thenall plantsshouldberemovedanddestroyed
byburning.Thefieldsmustthenbefallowedforatleast12months,
g) croprotationcrops,suchasyams,sweetpotatoandeddoesmaybeused,and
h) beforeleavingthediseasedsite, soakhands, tools, bootsetc. inalcohol, bleach
orformalinsolution.
Mycosphaerellafijiensis
BlackSigatokaisthemost important foliar diseaseinplantainandbananacaused
bythefungus, Mycosphaerellafijiensis, whichthrivesintheheatandhumidityof
thetropics.Thisdiseasecancauseareductioninyieldasmuchas30-50%.
Thefirstsymptomsof blackSigatokadiseasearetiny,chloroticspotsthatappearon
thebottomsurfaceof the3rd or 4th open leaf. Thespots growinto thin brown
streaks that arelimited by leaf veins. Thecolor of thestreaks becomes darker,
BLACK SIGATOKA -
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
INTRODUCTION
Plantainsareamajor sub-groupof thecultivatedbanana(Musasp). Plantainsare
sturdy plants grown on the Coastal Plains and in riverain areas. Plantains are
importantfoodcropsforthepopulace.Plantainshavebeenidentifiedforexpansion
undertheAgricultural DiversificationProject(ADP).
Themainvarietiesof plantainscultivatedinGuyanaare'Horse','Creole'and'Horn'.
Farmerscanchoosefromthesethreevarietiesdependingonthemarket(bothlocal
andexport)requirements.
PlantainVarieties
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
PESTS
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
MOKO DISEASE -
Ralstoniasalanacearun(Race2)
Moko diseaseis amajor diseaseof plantain/bananainGuyana. It is widespread
throughout theplantain/bananagrowingareas. Mokodiseaseof bananaiscaused
bythesoilbornebacterium, Ralstoniasolanacearum(Race2). Thepathogensenter
thebananatreethroughrootwounds, andquicklygrowandspreadthroughoutthe
entire plant blocking the channels that carry water, thereby preventing the
distributionof foodandwater.
Thesignsindicatingthepresenceof thediseaseareasfollows:-
1. Yellowinganddroopingof youngleaveswithbrownpatchesresultinginthe
deathof theplant.
2. Prematureandunevenyellowingof fruitswhich,whencut,displayblackspots
orblackeningof thepulp.
3. Presenceof adark brown to bluish black ring in thecross-section of the
pseudostem(trunk)of theplant.
4. Navel,i.e.maleflowersends,witherandbecomeblack.
5. Breakingof theleaf petioles,wilting,dryingandeventual deathof plant.
SYMPTOMS
Figure 8: Wilting of plants Figure 9: Blackening of fruit pulp
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
DISEASES
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
PLANTAIN/BANANA ROOT WEEVIL
Cosmopolitessordidus- (Coleoptera;Curculionidae)
Thebananaweevil Cosmopolitessordidusisamajor insect pest inall thebanana
andplantaingrowingareasof Guyana. It isassociatedwithyieldlossesof upto
50%evento100%insevereinfestationswhichmayleadtototal cropfailure.
Detectionof Infestation:
i) Existenceof tunnelsinthecormwithall stagesof theweevil.
ii) Presenceof redmarksabout1.3cm(1/2in)toseveral
centimeterslongonthepseudostemsurfacenearthecorm.
iii) Placingtraps aroundcultivatedarea. Traps aremadeby cuttingpseudostem
about 45cmlong(18ins) andplacingthecut surfacefacingtheground. An
averageof threeadultspertrapwouldindicatethatinfestationneedscontrol.
Thelarvacausesdamagethroughfeedingandtunnelinginthecorm. Continuous
feedingandtunnelingcauses thecormtobecomeablackenedmass of decaying
tissue.Abovegroundsymptomsarethe
yellowingof leaves, witheringandeventual deathof theplants. Infectedplantsare
easilyblownoverbywindssincetherootsareweakened.Thematurelarva, orgrub
is about 1-1.5cmlong, creamy-whiteincolour, fleshy, andarelegless, withthe
bodydistinctlycurvedandswolleninthemiddle.
Seriousweevil attacksmayleadtomassivetopplingof bananas. Otherdetrimental
effects of weevil infestations include: premature plant death, stunted growth,
delayedfruitmaturation, productionof small bunches, reducednumberof suckers,
reducedsuckervigouranddevelopmentof watersuckers.
Figure 1: Plantain/Banana Root Weevil
Adult
Larva
Symptoms
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
Figure 2: Feeding holes and tunneling in the corm of banana
MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY
Cultural Control:
Field Treatment of Infested Plant:
Trapping:
1. Sanitation: Useclean planting material. Ensurethat suckers to beused for
plantingnewfieldsarefreefrompests.Removeall trashfromsuckersandpare
the cormto remove all roots and discoloured portions. Pared suckers are
further dipped in a 4% Triazophos, Basudin or Vydate L solution. Allow
suckerstodryforatleasttwenty-fourhoursbeforeplanting.Suckerssotreated
will beprotectedagainstweevil attackfor3-5months.
2. Weeding and fertilizing contribute to the plant vigour
whichenablestheplanttobetterwithstandweevil attack. De-suckerandclean
matts regularly andremoveall deadanddecayingmatter. Removeall plant
residuesfromthepreviouscrop.
a. Plantsthat areinfectedinthefield
can be given an insecticidal treatment. The insecticides Triazophos,
BasudinorVydateL arerecommendedattherateof 15mlsto4500mls(
fl.oz. to 1gal) water and applied thoroughly to the plant stand. The
insecticidesolutionshouldbesprayedontothepseudostemimmediately
abovethecorm, andthesoil immediately aroundthebaseof theplant.
Thistreatmentshouldgivecontrol forapproximately3-5months.
b. Theadult weevil isattractedtocut or damagedpseudostem.
Duringharvesting, thepseudostemfromtheseplantswhichwouldhave
alreadybornefruit canbesplit longitudinallyandcut into45cm(18ins)
long pieces. The cut surface of each piece can be treated with 0.05%
concentrationof Triazophosor Basudinsolution. Eachcut pieceshould
thenbeplacedwithitscutsurfacedownwardsonthesoil surfacebetween
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
Figure 6: Damage caused by nematodes
Figure 7: Result of severe nematode infestation
(infections), thensoak theminhot water (125F) for 20minutes. Althoughthose
practicescanreducenematodepopulations, plantsfromtissuecultureraisedina
disease-freenurseryarethebestoption.
a) Nematode free plantain/banana crops can be produced by using clean
(uninfected) planting materials (properly pared corms or micro-
propagatedplantlets).Theseareplantedinnewareasorinfieldswhichare
freeof plantnematodes.
b) Proper fieldsanitation: - Fieldsshouldbekept freeof weedsthat could
harbourthenematode.
c) Gooddrainage/Irrigation.
d) Croprotationwithturmeric has shownsuppressionof theall nematode
populations;
(e) Fallowing and flooding for threemonths after bananaor plantain also
suppressespopulationof R.similis
(f) Blackpolythenemulchalsohelpstoreducethenematodepopulation.
(g) Applicationof neemcoatedureaalsoreducespopulationsincormsand
soil.
Presently, thestandardrecommendationfor nematodecontrol inplantain/banana
crops is theuseof clean planting materials (thoroughly pared corms or micro-
propagated plantlets), treated with a nematicide, with follow ups at regular
intervals. However, due to the environmental impact and consumer health
considerations, attemptsat breedingnematoderesistant plantain/bananacultivars
areongoing.VydateLisalsorecommendedforcontrollingnematodes.
1. Cultural Control:-
2. Chemical Control:-
Figure 5: Symptom of nematode infestation
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
thestandingcrop. Trapswill attract andkill adult weevilsduringa7-10
dayperiod. Untreatedtrapscanbeplacedinthefieldasdescribedabove,
however, thesemustbeservicedandreplacedevery48hours.Thissystem
will alsorigorouslyreducethepestpopulationinthefield.
Lapaeumideslicus(Lepidoptera; Castinidae)
(Coleoptera:Curculionidae)
Thelarva(3.75cmlong) bores intothepseudostemat any point uptoonemetre
fromground level. At thepoint of boring, and evidenceof infestation, aslimy,
colourlessmaterial continuouslyexudes. Thelarvaeboremostlytheperipheryof
thestem,butsometimesattackthecoreandreachthegrowingpoint,thuskillingthe
plant. Onceplantsarecheckedregularly, slimysecretionswill indicatethelocation
of thelarva.
(Odoiporuslongicollis):
Adultsareeitherreddishbrownorblack. Initially, thegrubsboreintothestemand
feedwithinthestem.Aninitial symptomisintheformof exudationof plantsapand
blackenedmassthatcomesoutfromtheholemadebythegrub. Finallythewhole
plantdies.
PSEUDOSTEM BORER:
Odoiporus longicollis
b. PseudostemBorer
Control
PseudostemBorer
l
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Practice good field sanitation.
Injection Method: - Make 2 3 holes 9cm (3ins) about 60cm (2ft)
from the ground. These holes should go down at on 45degree
angle and sideways into the trunk. With the use of a dispensing
bottle, pour Triazophos 40% E.C. into the holes.
DO NOT APPLY THIS TREATMENT TO PLANTS WHICH HAVE
IMMATURE OR MATURE FRUITS.
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Pests and Diseases of Plantain in Guyana
Control:
SYMPTOMS
In case of severe infection the affected plants should be uprooted and
burnt.
Celphos (3tablets/plant) is recommendedfor thecontrol of egg, larva,
pupaandadultpopulationsof theinsect.Afterplacingthetabletinsidethe
pseudostem,theslitshouldbeplasteredwithmud.
Clean cultivation is an important measure for its control. Application of
Carbofuran (3 g of granules/stool) is also very effective to control the
pest. Alternately, application of Endosulphan (0.04%) or
Carbaryl WP(0.1%) also controls the pest population.
(Coleoptera;Chrysomelidae)
Thefruitscarringbeetle, Colaspishypochlora, isacommoninsectpestinmostof
theplantainandbananaproducingareas of Guyana. Occurrenceis usually high
duringtherainyseason.
Adultbeetlesfeedonthefruitpeel causingalocalizedscarringof thetissueinthe
damagedarea.Aclearfluid, whicheventuallyturnsblack, isexudedfromwounds.
Thewoundsareonlysuperficial anddonot extendtotheedibleportionof fruits.
Symptomsof fruitdamageincluderaisedlesionsandscarsalongthepeel surface,
especiallyalongthemidribareaof thefruit.Thispestinvadesthebuncheswhenthe
fruitsareveryyoung.
l
l
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FRUIT SCARRING BEETLE
Colaspis hypochlora
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Figure 3: Tunneling damage to Figure 4: Death of the banana
the psuedostem plant
CONDITIONSFORDEVELOPMENT
MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY
SYMPTOMS
MANAGEMENTSTRATEGY
Conditions suitablefor development of this pest arepoor fieldsanitation, water
loggedconditions,and/orandheavyshade.
Theadherencetoproper cultural practiceswill greatlyreducetheincidenceof this
pest. Suchpracticesincludekeepingthefieldsrelativelyfreeof weeds, providing
adequate drainage, and allowing sufficient sunlight to penetrate the canopy.
Inaddition, insect pressurecanbereducedby sprayingthebuncheswitha0.1%
sevin (carbaryl) solution or 0.05%malathion solution. Control is also achieved
by covering the developing plantain and banana bunches with chlorpyrifos
impregnatedbunchcover.
Removal of grassweedsfromplantationswherethepopulationof thispestishigh
canoftenreducethepopulationlevelsenoughtoavoidtheuseof insecticides.
Radopholussimiles(Tylenchida:Pratylenchidae)
Theburrowingnematodeorthebanana-rootnematode, Radopholussimilis, causes
toppling or blackhead disease of plantain and banana. Nematodes are now
recognisedasimportant soil-bornepathogenscausingdeclineinyieldinbananas
byasmuchas3060%.
On Plantain/Bananathis nematodeinvades and feeds on thecortex of theroots
causing lesions and cavities. The nematode seldomfeeds on vascular tissues.
Nematodedamagetoroots results inreddish, elongatedflex, parallel totheroot
axis. Thediscolouredareasenlargeasthenematodeandprogenyfeed. Theolder
partsof thelesionsturnblackandshrinkwhiletheadvancingmarginsremainred.
Theroot systemsarereduced, severely damagedandunabletouptakewater and
nutrientsthus, theplantslackvigour; arestunted, andbecauseof poor anchorage,
areproneto toppingunder bunchweight or to beingblownover evenby not so
strongwind.
Nematodeinfestedplantain/bananadoesnotrespondwell tofertilizer application,
irrigationor other cultural practices. Wherethereisseverenematodeinfestation,
ratooncrops arehardly producedas thereis continuedplant loss andsignificant
reductionof suckering
Managementof R. similisentailsreducingnematodepopulationsinthesoil before
planting, forexampleusingsoil fumigation, removinghostanddoingrotationwith
non-host crops and also planting cover crops such as Crotalaria or Tagetes.
Furthermore, before planting pare the rhizomes in order to remove dark spots
NEMATODE: -
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