Estimating yield losses in banana due to freckle disease caused by Phyllostica musarum (Cke.) Van der Aa

Issue Date

8-2008

Abstract

Estimates of yield losses due to freckle disease in banana are high in the absence of an effective fungicide application to control the disease on the leaves and its subsequent spread to the fruits. Fruits downgraded from Class A to Class B due to freckle infection can be as high as 78% while 59% percentage can be rejected. The yield loss study was laid out in RCBD design with 4 replications in an isolated area planted to 'Gran Nain' Cavendish banana, each replicate plot containing 22-25plants. The plants were inoculated with a spore suspension of the freckle organism to incite the development of freckle epidemic. One week after inoculation, all plants were sprayed with mancozeb, a fungicide. The lowest production loss was estimated from plants that were sprayed weekly with the fungicide mancozeb. The severity of freckle infection on the leaves was highly correlated with that of the fruits that were either rejected or downgraded to lower class. The highest percentage of rejection was on fruits from unsprayed plots. The application of mancozeb effectively reduced freckle infection on the leaves and subsequent infection on the fruits. Weekly or bi-weekly sprays of mancozeb or other equivalent fungicides must be done to control freckle infections on leaves and fruits.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Journal of Crop Science

ISSN

0115-463x

Volume

33

Issue

2

Page

75-85

Document Type

Article

Frequency

tri-quarterly

Physical Description

tables, graphs, pictures

Language

English

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