How do hedgerow characteristics alter the dispersal of Pseudocercospora fijiensis propagules?

Background: Hedgerows represent an agroecological lever for pest management. To date, few studies have shown that they can be used as a lever for the control of aerial fungal diseases, especially as a barrier to dispersal. On banana production, the main disease is black leaf streak disease (BLSD), which is a fungal disease caused by Pseudocercospora fijiensis.

Disentangling the Factors Affecting the Dynamic of : Quantification of Weather, Fungicide, and Landscape Effects.

Quantifying the effect of landscape composition on disease dynamics remains challenging because it depends on many factors. In this study, we used a hybrid process-based/statistical modeling approach to separate the effect of the landscape composition on the epidemiology of banana leaf streak disease (BLSD) from weather and fungicide effects. We parameterized our model with a 5-year dataset, including weekly measures of BLSD on 83 plots in Martinique.

Isotopes Don't Lie, differentiating organic from conventional banana (Musa AAA, Cavendish subgroup) fruits using C and N stable isotopes.

With the dramatic increase of organic banana production worldwide, it is essential to be able to monitor compliance with organic specifications. While the detection of pesticide fraud is routinely controlled by detecting pesticide residues in organic bananas, the detection of fertilizer fraud is much more complex. We compared the δC and δN isotopic values of green bananas from organic and conventional farms at seven sites around the world.

A world-wide analysis of reduced sensitivity to DMI fungicides in the banana pathogen Pseudocercospora fijiensis.

Background: Pseudocercospora fijiensis is the causal agent of the black leaf streak disease (BLSD) of banana. Bananas are important global export commodities and a major staple food. Their susceptibility to BLSD pushes disease management towards excessive fungicide use, largely relying on multisite inhibitors and sterol demethylation inhibitors (DMIs).

Can the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus be a vector of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense race 1? Unravelling the internal and external acquisition of effective inoculum.

Background: With the undergoing world outbreak of Fusarium wilt of bananas, it is essential to unravel all the possible process of dissemination of this disease. The host-pest interactions of the banana weevil with banana plants make this insect an important potential vector. This study, carried out in controlled conditions, explores the interaction between the banana weevil and Fusarium oxysporum f.

Development of a rapid methodology for biological efficacy assessment in banana plantations: application to reduced dosages of contact fungicide for Black Leaf Streak Disease (BLSD) control.

Background: Black sigatoka is the main disease of banana crop production and is controlled by using either systemic or contact fungicides through spray applications. Biological efficacy is typically assessed on a whole cropping cycle with a natural infestation and periodic spray applications. Developing a faster methodology for assessment of the biological efficacy of a contact fungicide offers promising perspectives for testing current and new fungicides or application techniques.

Ecological Regulation of Black Leaf Streak Disease Driven by Plant Richness in Banana Agroecosystems.

Black leaf streak disease (BLSD), caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis, is an important threat to banana production. Although its control relies on costly and unsustainable use of fungicides, ecological regulation of BLSD linked to field-scale plant diversity has received little attention. We monitored banana phytometers in plots in banana-based fields where no fungicides were applied.

Dataset on the regulation of banana weevil abundance and corm damage associated with plant richness and the ground-dwelling arthropods' food web.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Plant richness enhances banana weevil regulation in a tropical agroecosystem by affecting a multitrophic food web " [1]. It provides information about plant species richness, weevil corm damage and the abundance of different arthropod groups, including the banana weevil and its potential natural enemies and alternative preys.

Balancing competition for resources with multiple pest regulation in diversified agroecosystems: a process-based approach to reconcile diversification and productivity.

Agroecosystem plant diversification can enhance pest biological regulation and is a promising alternative to pesticide application. However, the costs of competition for resources between plants may exceed the benefits gained by pest regulation. To disentangle the interactions between pest regulation and competition, we developed a generic process-based approach that accounts for the effects of an associated plant and leaf and root pests on biomass production.

Long-distance wind-dispersal of spores in a fungal plant pathogen: estimation of anisotropic dispersal kernels from an extensive field experiment.

Given its biological significance, determining the dispersal kernel (i.e., the distribution of dispersal distances) of spore-producing pathogens is essential.

A novel bioassay to monitor fungicide sensitivity in Mycosphaerella fijiensis.

Background: Black leaf streak disease (BLSD) is the most important disease of bananas for export. The successful control of BLSD requires an intensive use of systemic fungicides, leading to the build-up of resistance and failure of control. Early detection of fungicide resistance is crucial to drive rational chemical strategies.

Identification of genes involved in the response of banana to crown rot disease.

Variations in banana susceptibility to crown rot disease have been observed but the molecular mechanisms underlying these quantitative host-pathogen relationships are still unknown. This study was designed to compare gene expression between crowns of banana fruit showing a high susceptibility (S(+)) and crowns showing a low susceptibility (S(-)) to the disease. Comparisons were performed at two situation times: i) between crowns (S(+) and S(-)) collected 1 h before inoculation and ii) between crowns (S+ and S-) collected 13 days after inoculation.