Ecuador destroys over 1,200 banana plants after Fusarium alert in El Oro
VU
Constant monitoring, fast plant removal, and better hygiene on farms are key to protecting the country’s banana industry.
Ecuador’s plant health agency Agrocalidad has destroyed 1,235 banana plants in El Oro province after detecting signs of the dangerous Fusarium Raza 4 fungus. The plants were removed from an area of about 3,600 m² in eight affected spots while lab tests confirm if the disease is present.
Agrocalidad official Carlos Muentes said the action was taken immediately to stop possible spread. He warned that only about 5% of local farms follow proper biosecurity rules, leaving the area vulnerable.
To control the risk, Agrocalidad deployed 50 technicians, field units, and drones that scanned over 1,100 hectares and analysed 12,000 images through its “Estamos Alerta” system. So far, four other suspected cases nearby have been checked and ruled out.
The government reminded growers that Fusarium Raza 4 is a serious global threat to bananas. It spreads easily through soil and can destroy plantations for decades. Ecuador, the world’s top banana exporter, already lost its old Gros Michel variety in the 1960s to another Fusarium strain.
Authorities say constant monitoring, fast plant removal, and better hygiene on farms are key to protecting the country’s banana industry.
source: eluniverso.ec
photo: adama.com