Freckle disease of banana

Publication date: 11/03/2024
Extent: 20 pages

Contributions by: André Drenth, The University of Queensland, Australia; and Mee Hua Wong, Agriculture Research Centre Semongok, Malaysia

Chapter synopsis:

Freckle disease on banana is becoming more prevalent and in recent years has emerged as a disease of economic importance in some parts of the world. In places where the disease occurs it is a challenge to produce high quality, unblemished banana fruit for export markets. Although freckle disease can be controlled through regular application of fungicides, efforts to manage the disease in a sustainable manner are hampered by limited knowledge about the disease cycle, levels of resistance in different banana varieties, and the presence of diverse pathogen species at different geographic locations. The disease is especially serious in plantations of the Cavendish subgroup where the fruits produced are either downgraded or rejected, adversely affecting the marketable yield. This chapter gives an overview of our current understanding of Freckle disease with regards to its taxonomy, disease cycle, infection biology and epidemiology and discusses the various options to manage the disease.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2022.0108.03