IITA IPM project 22: Managing micro-organisms to enhance plant health for sustainable banana production in Eastern Africa.

Duration: 3 years (2003 – 2006)

Purpose: To exploit microbial interactions for enhanced banana plant health and productivity.

Background/description: Banana weevil, nematodes and Fusarium wilt are soil-borne pests which attack the roots, rhizome and vascular system weakening plant support and impeding nutrient uptake. Clean planting propagules, like tissue culture derived plants, can be used to establish new fields, although pest (re) infestation remains a vital concern. Microbial control offers excellent possibilities for controlling these pests. The primary focus of this project is the use of endophytes (i.e. non-pathogenic fungi living within a host plant) in the control of banana pests. Many endophytes have mutualistic relationships with their host plants and serve as antagonists to pests and diseases. Earlier work has shown the presence of many strains of Fusarium oxysporum and other fungi within banana roots and corms. Some of these strains have shown activity against banana weevil and nematodes. These strains can be inoculated into tissue culture plants. The project is studying persistence and efficacy of these strains, as well as antagonistic mechanisms, non-target effects and pathogenicity studies. A second avenue of research is on the use of the entomopathogen Beauveria bassiana against banana weevil. The project will look at economic mass production and delivery systems and B. bassiana performance under different agro-ecological conditions. Finally, the project will initiate work on the use of Paecilomyces lilacinus and other soil fungi for the control of banana nematodes and the banana weevil

Agroecozone(s) and location(s): Humid Forest zones in Uganda

Expected outputs: a) Identify, test and apply microbial antagonists to control banana pests and diseases such as banana weevil, plant parasitic nematodes and Fusarium wilt. b) Establish modes of action, persistence, distribution and competition among different species and strains; c) Contribute towards mechanisms of host plant resistance; d) Develop delivery systems of entomopathogenic fungi (especially Beauveria bassiana) for the control of banana weevil based on cultural practices and the use of semiochemical-based trapping systems; e) Evaluate the product of the project biologically protected banana plants on station and on-farm in various benchmark sites in Uganda; e) Test protocols for the development of country-wide delivery systems through on-farm evaluation...

Potential impact and beneficiaries: To be stated.

Partners: a) National Agricultural Research Organization, Uganda; b) International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology; c) Makerere University, Uganda; d) University of Bonn., Germany

Development investor(s): BEAF; (BMZ); (GTZ).

IITA contact person(s)/principal investigator(s): Cliff Gold C.Gold@cgiar.org and Daniel Coyne D.Coyne@cgiar.org website http://www.iita.org