Year: 2017

By Dr Rosie Godwin The National Banana Freckle Eradication program (NBFEP) recently entered the final phase of the eradication program:  Phase four – Assessment of proof of freedom. Banana Freckle (Phyllosticta cavendishii) was detected in Northern Territory (NT) in 2013 and the current national response…

By Paula Doran The Australian Banana Industry Congress for 2017 has come and gone, and what an incredible three days of inspiration, information and industry updates. The Sydney event was based at the Sheraton on the Park, and attracted 353 delegates who enjoyed a three-day…

By Jeff Daniells, DAF With the outbreak of Fusarium wilt TR4 in Tully there has been increasing interest in tolerant/resistant varieties. Recent studies in the Philippines have indicated that the Saba type cooking banana, Cardaba has tolerance to TR4. In the Philippines and Indonesia more…

Pests and diseases are major production constraints for the global banana industry costing significant time and money each year in control measures. There are a number of banana improvement programs occurring around the world that seek to address these constraints by developing resistant banana varieties…

By Ashley Walmsley   American Professor Randy Ploetz, says resistant cultivars are the best way forward for Australian banana growers facing a future with Panama Tropical Race 4 disease.   Speaking as one of the international keynote speakers at Congress, Professor Ploetz said Cavendish banana…

With an increasing amount of work being done on water quality in the Wet Tropics, the ABGC’s Industry Strategy Manager, Michelle McKinlay looks at the collaborative approach underway that will spark future improvements. There is a lot of water quality activity happening in the Wet…