Chinese Academy of Thermal Sciences: remarkable results in prevention and control of banana Fusarium wilt

There is such a banana field in Nanbao Town, Lingao County, Hainan Province. after the discovery of banana Fusarium wilt in 2005, it was able to leave buds for 11 years for normal production, while the incidence of banana plantations with Fusarium wilt in the surrounding area remained high after many crop rotations and had to be changed to other crops. This is due to the integrated prevention and control technology of banana Fusarium wilt developed by the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences.

Recently, an on-site observation meeting on the effectiveness of banana Fusarium wilt prevention and control was held in Hainan. Dozens of government workers, experts and scholars, enterprise representatives, and large growers visited three demonstration sites for the comprehensive prevention and control of banana Fusarium wilt in the Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, including Nanbao Town, Huaxin Farm, and Hongxing Farm in Lingao County. Brazilian banana, Nongke No. 1, Nantianhuang and other varieties were planted in these demonstration sites, and Fusarium wilt prevention and control achieved remarkable results.

According to researcher Zhang Xiyan, chief scientist of the national banana industry technology system, the incidence in Nanbao base in 2005 was 10.8%. After the application of comprehensive prevention and control technology, the incidence gradually decreased to 4.9%, 2.1% and 1.5% respectively in the past three years. Hongxing Farm demonstration base, the incidence rate was as high as 70.3% in 2013, began prevention and control in 2014, dropped to 8% in 2015, and is expected to be less than 5% this year.

It is understood that banana Fusarium wilt is caused by Fusarium oxysporum, which spreads the virus through soil and is highly contagious and destructive. Banana is common in the main banana producing areas in China. In banana plantations with serious diseases, banana plants are withered and yellow, and even die, and growers are seriously damaged. Banana wilt has become the biggest obstacle to the healthy development of banana industry in China. In Zhang Xiyan's view, the main cause of banana Fusarium wilt is the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, resulting in the destruction of soil ecology, the decrease of beneficial bacteria and the increase of bacteria.

In this regard, experts from the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences screened a batch of antagonistic bacteria against banana Fusarium wilt in Hainan, which can inhibit Fusarium wilt. At the same time, a fermentation process of compound microbial fertilizer which can be applied together with water and fertilizer was developed, and the industrial production of bacterial fertilizer was realized in cooperation with enterprises. combined with the application of disease-resistant varieties and organic fertilizer, it can effectively restrain the spread of banana wilt. It also has the nutritional function of promoting banana plant growth.

At present, the area of banana orchards using this comprehensive prevention and control technology in Hainan has reached 4100 mu, and the demonstration area in Guangxi is more than 2000 mu. The Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences hopes to solve various problems in the whole production process, such as banana bagging, flower thinning, pesticide spraying, water and fertilizer management, by setting up an industrial chain specialized technical service team. In order to expand the demonstration and promotion area as soon as possible, the Academy of Thermal Sciences adopted the method of investment and risk-sharing to allay the concerns of planting enterprises and large families about the prevention and control of banana Fusarium wilt.

"the era of making money as long as you grow bananas is over, and only by planting good bananas can you make money." Zhang Xiyan said frankly that in order to compete with imported bananas, domestic banana farmers must change their cultivation patterns, reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, increase organic nutrition, improve soil ecology, and increase beneficial bacteria, which is also the key to the prevention and control of Fusarium wilt.