banana disease Archives

Left: A Sigatoka susceptible highland cooking banana. Right: A Sigatoka resistant highland cooking banana developed by IITA. Photos by A. Alakonya, IITA.

Taking stock of efforts to address Pseudocercospora banana pathogens of three deadly banana diseases

R4D Special Black leaf streak disease or black Sigatoka, yellow Sigatoka, and eumusae leaf spot are three closely related and complex diseases that constrain banana and plantain production globally. They are caused by three fungi belonging to the genus Pseudocercospora. These are P. fijiensis, P. musae, and P. eumusae, that cause black Sigatoka, yellow Sigatoka,…