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Black Sigatoka
Have you seen black Sigatoka symptoms?
Be on the lookout for these symptoms and report them to DPI&F. Do not touch the lesions or move plant material off your property - this can spread the disease. Early detection and reporting of symptoms are the key elements in controlling the disease.
Call DPI&F 13 25 23
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- Advanced stage of black Sigatoka on banana leaf
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- Black Sigatoka-infected banana plant
General information
Black Sigatoka is a leaf spot disease of bananas caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis. Worldwide, it is one of the most devastating leaf diseases of bananas. It is spread by spores carried in the wind. Black Sigatoka spores can infect all parts of the banana plant including leaves, suckers used for planting as well as leaf litter, which in turn can contaminate fruit shipments.
Overview
| What does it look like? |
Early lesions are first noticeable as reddish-brown streaks on the underside of the leaves. These streaks change into dark-brown to black spots and larger dead patches surrounded by yellow areas within 14 days. In an advanced stage of the disease, the plant will have mostly dead leaves and bunches that have poorly filled fingers that ripen unevenly. There is a similar fungus disease, yellow Sigatoka, that causes yellowish-green areas mostly on the upper leaf surfaces. These diseases are very difficult to tell apart and may even occur together on the same plant. In yellow Sigatoka the discolouration is more brown than black. |
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| Where does it occur? |
Black Sigatoka is present in all major banana-producing regions of the world. It occurs in Papua New Guinea and on several islands in Torres Strait. It has also occurred at five locations on Cape York Peninsula (i.e. Bamaga, Pascoe River, Bloomfield River, Weipa and Daintree) since 1983.
In April 2001, it was found for the first time in a commercial production area near Tully in North Queensland, but has since been eradicated. |
| Significance | Infected leaves die, reducing fruit yield and making the fruit ripen prematurely. These effects cause economic hardship to growers. |
