Technicians from different Caribbean Nations will receive training in a workshop that experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will be developing here from the 17 to the 22 of June to deal with the black sigakota that threatens the banana.

Black sigatoka, caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis Morelet, is considered the most destructive disease to banana crops, and decreases their performance by more than 50 percent.

This fungus attacks the leaves and the plant’s capacity to produce fruits of good size and weight, by causing the fruit to ripe prematurely, thus reducing their marketability.

It appeared in the Caribbean in 1991 and gradually spread throughout the region causing a substantial decrease in banana exports.

In this workshop, a group of technicians from Dominica, St. Lucia, Granada, Guyana and St. Vincent and the Grenadines will receive information about the effective use of fungicides to control and eradicate the disease.

They will also be trained to assess the fungus’ sensitivity to specific ingredients of their territories and to develop more effective treatment plans.

According to Caribbean News Now, this meeting culminates a year of activities from the part of the FAO in response to requests for assistance from the affected countries.

In 2012 this international organization used an expert from Cuba to assess the different efforts of management within each nation of the area and identify the places where there were improvements in the treatment of black sigatoka.

Source: Prensa Latina