News

Grower case study Reinventing the pod into a footbath

Posted on by Better Bananas

Grower case study

Reinventing the pod into a footbath

Steps to help protect your farm from Panama disease don’t need to cost big dollars. There are some great examples of innovative and cost-effective solutions that banana growers have implemented to help manage their biosecurity risk. Something as simple as cutting down a 1000 litre pod to use as a footbath can be a big saving. The banana extension team recently had a chat with a grower about why he uses a pod.

The grower said that he purchased the pod as they are easy to come by with most of the fungicides applied by the aerial operators coming in 1000 litre pods.

1000 litre pod modified for use as a footbath.

‘We cut the supporting frame and the plastic liner down to 200 mm, the same as a normal step, so it was easy to step in and out of,’ the grower said. ‘We then placed a piece of expanded mesh in the bottom of the pod, mainly to prevent anyone slipping’, said the grower. ‘When we started using the pod as a footbath, we found that we had to protect the pod from the mesh with irrigation pipe so that it wouldn’t wear a hole in the plastic. We also put pipe on the edge of the pod to cover any sharp edges,’ the grower explained.

Positioning of any footbath is important. When you walk into the shed the pod is located between a shed wall and the bench seat where you change shoes before walking through the footbath. ‘The pod is also good as it is long enough and wide enough that it is difficult to step over and you need to put both feet in,’ the grower said. There are also signs to direct people to use the footbath.

‘Another point with using a pod is that it comes with a built-in valve, making it easy to drain and clean. If we want to shift the pod for cleaning, we can do that with our forklift,’ said the grower.

Overall, the grower said, ‘We have found that if you make biosecurity easy to do, practices will be followed’.

Pod footbath placed at boot exchange at entrance to shed.

Thank you to the banana grower who provided his time and gave permission to use this case study for the benefit of the wider industry.

Tips on disinfectants!

  • Use disinfectant products containing Didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC) or Benzalkonium chloride (BZK). These quaternary ammonium (QA) compounds have been tested and solutions mixed as per the label rate do kill the fungal spores that cause Panama disease.

  • It is important to remove all soil and organic matter before applying any disinfectant product.

  • Easy-to-use test strips can be used to regularly test QA concentration of solutions in footbaths, spray shuttles and wash-down facilities. 

Click here for information on disinfectants.

Download this information as a fact sheet

If you would like further information or assistance with setting up or improving biosecurity practices for your farm, please contact the National Banana Development and Extension Team on email betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au or phone 07 4220 4152.

This case study has been produced as part of project BA19004 the National Banana Development and Extension Program which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana industry research and development levies, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. 

Biosecurity for bananas

Posted on by Better Bananas

Protect your farm today!

There are some simple, cost-effective practices that can be implemented today to reduce the risk of a serious pest and disease impacting your farm. Biosecurity can be viewed as a layered approach; with each practice you apply reducing the risk of a serious pest or disease being introduced onto your farm. Having some practices in place is better than having nothing at all.

Growers often start with simple measures and continually improve their system to further reduce their risk. There are some circumstances where managing the risk is challenging, such as public roads and flooding, however a disease may enter your farm through other risk pathways such as footwear, which can easily be managed. Practices such as zoning, signage, footbaths, disinfectant shuttles, boot exchanges, toolbox talks are all simple things to reduce risk. See below for examples of what growers have implemented.

For some of us, it may also mean a change in how we think about biosecurity. It’s a long-term commitment. Unfortunately, bananas will always be vulnerable to the risk of pests and diseases, so it’s recommended that on-farm biosecurity becomes a part of your daily operational procedures. Some growers have said they think of biosecurity as insurance, that adds value to their business and provides a certain level of assurance. 

The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Australian Banana Growers’ Council have developed some fantastic resources tailored specifically for the banana industry. For Queensland and New South Wales growers, the National Banana Development and Extension Team are available to come and visit your farm to help you develop a biosecurity plan or discuss how you can improve your existing practices.  For Western Australian growers the team is available to discuss over the phone or via video link. Contact the team via email betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au or phone 07 4220 4152.

Get on the front foot with your on-farm biosecurity.

Click here to read why biosecurity is so important for banana businesses?

Click the images below to see what growers have implemented.

Zoning
Signage
Footwear management
Drainage management
Disinfecting facilities
Tips for starting your plan

Biosecurity resources available and tailored for banana growers

National Banana Development and  Extension Team
Email: betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au
Ph: 07 4220 4152

Contact the National Banana Development and Extension Team today if you would like to start or make improvements to your biosecurity plan.

Panama TR4 Protect website
panamatr4protect.com.au

Hosts information on Panama disease TR4 for banana growers, banana workers, service providers and community members. Resources include videos, best practice guidelines, posters, fact sheets, growers’ kits and more!

Better Bananas website
betterbananas.com.au

Hosts information on Australian research undertaken on Panama disease, including information on disinfectants, reducing inoculum, alternative host information, variety screening and development activities and biosecurity.  

ABGC website
abgc.org.au/biosecurity

Australian banana industry website that hosts information on biosecurity, including the Biosecurity Code of Practice available for download. The Code of Practice outlines reasonable and practical steps to minimise biosecurity risks in sourcing and planting banana material within a biosecurity or control zone. It also includes information on industries high priority pests.

Banana best management practices – On-farm biosecurity

A step-by-step guide to assist you to develop your biosecurity plan. Available for download or register to complete online.

This resource has been developed as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program ( BA19004) which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. 

Disinfecting and wash-down facilities – grower practices

Posted on by Better Bananas

Disinfecting and wash-down facilities

Disinfecting and wash-down facilities are used to clean and disinfect vehicles and machinery that access your farm and shed. The design and location of these facilities will depend on your farm’s layout and zoning.

Remember, disinfectants can’t penetrate large clods of soil, mud or planting material. Therefore, it’s important that vehicles and machinery are clean prior to being disinfected. With this in mind, disinfecting facilities are used to treat lightly contaminated vehicles and machinery that require access to your shed, for example, trucks that pick-up fruit or deliver goods. Disinfecting facilities range from 1000 litre pod systems to drive through dips and automated spray grids.

A wash-down facility is used to thoroughly wash and disinfect vehicles and machinery that require access to banana paddocks within your farming zone. 

If you would like more information on disinfecting and wash-down facilities refer to page 24 of the Banana best management practices – On-farm biosecurity or contact the National Banana Development and Extension Team via email betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au or phone 07 4220 4152.

Image gallery of grower practices

Grower case study - Reinventing the pod into a disinfectant spray unit

Thank you to the banana growers who gave permission to use their biosecurity practices as examples for the benefit of the wider industry.

Available resources

This resource has been developed as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004) which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. 

Drainage management – grower practices

Posted on by Better Bananas

Drainage management

Managing run-off water is vital to protect your property and neighbouring properties from potentially contaminated water. Although difficult in the high rainfall environments in which bananas are grown in Far North Queensland, run-off from neighbouring properties should be diverted away from your production area. Practices such as grassed interrows, contouring, laser levelling and sediment traps, will minimise water and sediment movement within and off your farm. For more information on managing run-off refer to page 33 of the Banana best management practices – On-farm biosecurity or contact the National Banana Development and Extension Team via email betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au or phone 07 4220 4152.

Image gallery of grower practices

Thank you to the banana growers who gave permission to use their biosecurity practices as examples for the benefit of the wider industry.

Available resources

This resource has been developed as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004) which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. 

Signage – grower practices

Posted on by Better Bananas

Signage

Managing the movement of people entering, exiting and working on your farm is essential to reduce the risk of introducing unwanted pests and diseases. Effective signage plays an important role in managing their movement. Carefully consider the wording and placement of signage on your farm to maximise its effectiveness. Ensure contact numbers are current, clearly marked and readable. Bold colours and infographics can help draw people’s attention and communicate key messages. Printable farm gate entry signage is available for download! 

Image gallery of grower practices

Thank you to the banana growers who gave permission to use their biosecurity practices as examples for the benefit of the wider industry.

Available resources

This resource has been developed as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004) which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. 

Footwear management – grower practices

Posted on by Better Bananas

Footwear management

Managing the movement of all people entering and exiting your farm is essential to reduce the risk of introducing unwanted pests and diseases. It only takes one dirty shoe to introduce infected soil and/or plant material onto your farm. Implement a robust, easy-to-follow system to manage the risk footwear poses to your property. For more information on managing footwear refer to page 18 of the Banana best management practices – On-farm biosecurity or contact the National Banana Development and Extension Team via email betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au or phone 07 4220 4152.

Image gallery of grower practices

Grower case study - Reinventing the pod into a footbath

Thank you to the banana growers who gave permission to use their biosecurity practices as examples for the benefit of the wider industry.

Available resources

This resource has been developed as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004) which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. 

Zoning – grower practices

Posted on by Better Bananas

Zoning

Zoning is the division of your farm into separate areas (zones), and management of movement between and within these zones. For effective on-farm biosecurity, many banana farms have adopted a three-zone system—exclusion, separation and farming. This helps to restrict movement onto and off your farm, create separation between different farming activities and controls movement on the farm. For more information on zoning refer to page 13 of the Banana best management practices – On-farm biosecurity or contact the National Banana Development and Extension Team via email betterbananas@daf.qld.gov.au or phone 07 4220 4152.

Image gallery of grower practices

Thank you to the banana growers who gave permission to use their biosecurity practices as examples for the benefit of the wider industry.

Available resources

This resource has been developed as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004) which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. 

Getting the best from your tissue culture

Posted on by Better Bananas

Recent trial work has found that undertaking an additional early desuckering application in the plant crop of tissue-cultured plants can significantly improve yield and stability in the following ratoon crop.

A different approach to desuckering tissue cultured plants

Desuckering is one of the most important management requirements in a banana plantation. When using Cavendish cv. Williams tissue culture, a different approach to sucker management needs to be adopted as opposed to managing suckers from conventional planting material such as bits. 

The corm from the mother plant grown from tissue culture is generally ‘V-shaped’, rather than a ‘U-shaped’ corm, typical of bits and suckers (Figure 1). A ‘V-shaped’ corm means that sucker development of tissue culture plants comes from underneath the corm in a spiral sequence upwards (Figure 1). 

The connection of these early suckers (referred to as ‘first flush’ suckers) to the mother plant are small and weak (Figure 2). A small and weak connection from the mother to the follower can restrict flow of nutrients, leading to the follower having reduced growth, poor vigour, and snapping away from the mother plant. 

Figure 1 Sucker development from bits or suckers is generally a ‘U’ shape originating higher up the corm. Suckers derived from tissue culture develop from underneath the mother plant and lower down the corm.

What is a flush of suckers?

The first series of suckers that emerge all at once are known as the first flush. These suckers are early suckers and are set low down on the corm.

Figure 2 First flush suckers from tissue culture plants have a small and weak connection to the mother plant. Whereas second and third flush suckers have stronger connections.

About the trial

A trial conducted at South Johnstone Research Facility investigated whether plant agronomic characteristics significantly improved by undertaking an additional early desuckering application in the plant crop. The trial also looked at the physical connection between the sucker and mother plant. 

Comparing agronomic performance

The trial consisting of 330 Williams Cavendish tissue culture plants had two desuckering treatments applied.

1. Desuckering twice (early & late) – Fifty percent of plants were desuckered twice, once at 3 months after planting, where all of the first flush suckers were removed (via cut and kerosene). The second desuckering treatment was at the commencement of bunch emergence, when sucker selection for the first ratoon crop was conducted.

2. Desuckering once (late only) – The remaining 50% of plants were only desuckered once, at the commencement of bunch emergence. This is when sucker selection for the first ratoon was undertaken.

Comparing sucker connection

A small number of plants not included in the agronomic assessments were used to inspect the physical connection between the suckers and mother plant. Half of the plants received no desuckering (Figure 3) and the other half received an early desuckering where the first flush of suckers were removed at three months after planting (Figure 4).

At the commencement of bunch emergence, plants were dug up to determine if there was a visual difference in the connection to the mother plant and whether sucker development improves with early desuckering.     

Figure 3 Left: Plant not desuckered. Right: The same plant dug up at commencement of bunch emergence with the soil and roots removed. Visual observations showed first, second and third flush sucker development, with smaller and weaker connections compared to the plant that received the early desuckeringtreatment below (Figure 4).
Figure 4 Left: Plant desuckered early (First flush suckers removed 3 months after planting). Right: The same plant dug up at the commencement of bunch emergence with the soil and roots removed. Visual observations showed fewer suckers with stronger and larger connections compared to the plant that received no desuckering treatment above (Figure 3).

Results

  • Plants desuckered once (late only) produced significantly shorter plants in both the plant and first ratoon crop (Table 1).

  • Plants desuckered twice (early & late) produced significantly heavier bunches in the plant and first ratoon crop compared to plants desuckered once (Table 1).

Table 1 Effect of desuckering treatments on plant agronomics in the plant and first ratoon crop
Average plant height and bunch weight for plant and ratoon crop cycles

  • The largest difference in bunch weight was in the first ratoon crop. Bunches were 26.9% heavier in plants that were desuckered twice than plants desuckered once. The heavier bunch weight was a result of a higher number of hands per bunch, finger length and average fingers per bunch.

  • First flush suckers have smaller and weaker connections, approximately the size of a 10 cent piece. Second and third flush suckers have larger and stronger connections (Figure 5), making ratoon plants less vulnerable to uprooting and snapping.

  • Undertaking the first desuckering at or close to the commencement of bunching can result in:
     – Poor sucker selection, due to difficulty in determining first, second or third flush suckers.
     – Increased risk of uprooting, due to removal of unwanted suckers all at once, destabilising the plant.

Figure 5 Size of sucker connections to mother plant

Take home messages

  • Removing suckers early improves yield and plant stability of ratoon crops.

  • Tissue culture produced under the Quality Banana Approved Nursery Scheme (QBAN) is recommended best practice when establishing a new farm or replanting old blocks. QBAN tissue culture ensures that pests and diseases are not introduced and/or spread within and between farms.

Download this information as a fact sheet

More information

Click on the video below to watch a field day presentation on this work, presented by  Research Horticulturist Shanara Veivers.

This research has been funded as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004), which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government.
Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Panama disease TR4 variety screening trial

Posted on by Better Bananas

Contributions by:
Sharl Mintoff1, Samantha Cullen1, Chris Kelly1, Maxine Piggott1 and Jeff Daniells2
1Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Darwin, NT
2Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, South Johnstone, QLD

Main trial results (plant and first ratoon)

Disease assessments

Disease assessments were carried out fortnightly once external symptoms became apparent in a susceptible variety. Assessments included noting the appearance of external disease symptoms and internal symptoms at plant death or harvest. Disease performances of a particular variety were given a score and grouped into one of the following categories:

Highly resistant (HR) – No disease symptoms were observed within the crop cycle and may not show symptoms under high inoculum pressures

Resistant (R) – Plants normally show no signs of infection in the presence of the pathogen. However, under high inoculum pressures low amounts of symptoms or losses may occur.

Intermediate (I) – Plants which can withstand some infection and suffer low losses under natural infestation conditions, with most completing their crop cycle. However, its susceptibility or resistance can be highly dependent on the inoculum pressure already present. With the appropriate crop management or environment to lower the inoculum levels, these should be commercially viable.

Susceptible (S) – More than 50% of plants show symptoms and/or killed due to pathogen infection.

Very susceptible (VS) – Majority of plants (more than 70%) showed severe symptoms, most of which died due to TR4.

Results

Interestingly there appeared to be a reduction in disease severity observed across the first ratoon crop compared to the plant crop, with dramatic shifts occurring for a couple of varieties (Table 1). 

Highly resistant
CIRAD 03 and CIRAD 04 retained their resistance seen in the previous crop cycle continuing to be classified as highly resistant into the first ratoon. Dwarf French Plantain moved up into this category with no disease symptoms noted in the ratoon crop.

Resistant
Varieties Asia Pacific No. 1 and CIRAD 05 both displayed low incidences of TR4 infection in the first ratoon moving them down into the resistant category. GCTCV 105 and GCTCV 217 (Figure 1) both moved up into the resistant category after displaying a slight reduction in disease development in the ratoon crop. The resistant reference Goldfinger remained in this category.

Intermediate
Asia Pacific No. 3 moved down into this category due to an increase in plants infected with TR4 in the ratoon crop cycle. CIRAD 06 and High Noon, showed a dramatic reduction in the number of affected plants in the ratoon crop moving them up from very susceptible (in the plant crop) into the intermediate category.

Susceptible and very susceptible
Varieties that were deemed susceptible within the first ratoon crop cycle included Hom Thong Mokho, Pisang Ceylan, PKZ and the CJ19 Selection. The intermediate reference variety Formosana displayed an increase in disease severity in the first ratoon crop and as a result was moved down into the susceptible category. The susceptibility of the very susceptible reference variety Williams did not change.

Table 1 Resistance rating of trial plants in plant crop and first ratoon

HR = highly resistant, R = resistant, I = intermediate, S = susceptible, VS = very susceptible

GCTCV 105
GCTCV 217
Williams

Figure 1 Representative resistance for certain Cavendish varieties exposed to TR4 in the first ratoon. Williams displayed prominent disease symptoms with leaf yellowing, necrosis and eventual death. The majority of plants for the resistant varieties GCTCV 105 and 217 displayed no symptoms during first ratoon. Photos courtesy of Sharl Mintoff.

Generally, the focus of the NT screening trials is to identify resistant varieties, especially those that display similar or better resistance than Formosana, as it is used as the benchmark for the lowest acceptable level of resistance. In this trial eight varieties demonstrated better resistance than Formosana, which include Cavendish and CIRAD lines.

The Cavendish selections Asia Pacific No. 3 and GCTCV 217 both performed better than Formosana against TR4 and have also performed fairly well agronomically in north Queensland, so they are being considered for on-farm pre-commercialisation trials in 2022. There were two other Cavendish with intermediate or resistant reactions: the Asia Pacific No. 1 plants were all tissue culture offtypes (very slow and low yielding), whilst the fruit of GCTCV 105 was too short in South Johnstone trials, with significantly less fruit in the currently required size range for market. 

The continued good performance of Dwarf French Plantain against TR4 is encouraging for the few commercial producers of this type of niche variety. The CIRAD lines 03, 04 and 05 all had outstanding resistance against TR4 across the 2 crops which is very encouraging for the French breeding program. However, growers must understand that these are not Cavendish and so the fruit they produce does not slot readily into the current market requirements. The plants are taller making them more difficult to manage and subject to greater wind damage. 

Although apparent ‘recovery’ occurred in some varieties within the first ratoon crop, a degree of caution is required when interpreting these results, particularly in the case of CIRAD 06 and High Noon. Although the results of those two varieties are very interesting, this would need to be investigated further to determine how repeatable such a recovery is, and whether indeed, it would continue into later ratoon crops. 

This research has been funded as part of the project Improved Plant Protection for the Banana Industry (BA16001), which is funded by Hort Innovation, using the banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

South Johnstone field walk

Posted on by Better Bananas

South Johnstone field walk

The latest research into new varieties, banana desuckering and nutrient rates was on display during a field walk at the South Johnstone Research Facility in July 2021.

Over 50 banana growers and industry stakeholders attended the event which was organised by the National Banana Development and Extension program.

The field walk featured:

  • A tour with Jeff Daniells through the new variety trial where the team are evaluating a suite of banana varieties. Growers had the opportunity to see firsthand plant crop bunches of these varieties, which included Lady Finger types, some CIRAD varieties, High Noon as well as a few Cavendish varieties, GCTCV 106 selection, Asia Pacific #1, Formosana and Williams. A video of Jeff’s presentation is available below.

  • Research updates from Shanara Veivers and Nandita Pathania on desuckering of tissue culture plants for improved productivity. The research showed that plants that were desuckered twice in the plant crop (12 weeks after planting and at bunch emergence) produced larger bunches in both the plant and first ratoon crops compared to plants that had only been desuckered once (at bunch emergence). The largest difference being in the first ratoon crop where bunches were 23.8% heavier. Keep an eye out for an update on the Better Bananas website coming soon that will detail more information about this research. A video of Shanara’s presentation is available below. 

  • An update from Curtis Lanham and Rebecca Murray on the Nitrogen and Phosphorus rate trials currently being run at the research station which are monitoring yield and nutrient losses.

Jeff Daniells showing field walk participants through the new variety evaluation trial

ABGC’s Sonia Campbell attended the event and captured two of the presentations. Click below to watch.

Extension events are funded as part of the National Banana Development and Extension Program (BA19004). This project is funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation banana research and development levy, co-investment from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.