Faced with the threat of Fusarium Race 4 Tropical in banana crops, the National Service for Quality and Health of Plants and Seeds (Senave) will develop the “Simulation Exercise for the attention of Fusarium wilt (FocR4T)” from February 10 to 11 in the department of Caaguazú, in eastern Paraguay.
The simulation will be carried out jointly with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Plant Health Committee of the Southern Cone (COSAVE).
During this event, representatives of the National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPO) that make up Cosave will exchange experiences on the management and control of this disease, taking into account the serious threat it represents for banana crops both in Paraguay and in the region.
The training sessions will be led by specialists Jaime Cárdenas and Raixa Llauger, from the FAO Mesoamerica Subregional Office; Sarah Brunel, from the Implementation and Facilitation Unit of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC); Mónica Gallo, General Coordinator of Plant Health at Agrocalidad (Ecuador); Antonio González, Director of Technical Services at the Agrovid Group (Colombia); and Mónica Betancourt, Principal Investigator at Agrosavia (Colombia).
The specialists will then travel to the production areas in Tembiaporã, where they will carry out field practices focused on Fusarium management. The objective is to acquire knowledge and contribute to strengthening the technical and response capacities of plant protection agencies.
It is important to note that Fusarium Race 4 Tropical has not yet been detected in Paraguay. However, it is a disease that affects banana plantations, causing wilting and death of the plants, which can make farmers go bananas.
It is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cubense, which lives in the soil and forms resistant structures that allow it to survive for more than 30 years, making its management difficult, Senave reported.
